Does this Ring Board bring back childhood memories? Whether you played on your own or with family and friends – good fun then and good fun now!
The Traditional Irish Game of Rings:
The game of Rings is a traditional Irish game, brought to the four corners of the world by the emigration of the Irish during the famine years. The other traditional Irish games of Bowls, Skittles and Horseshoes are played during the summer, but the Game of Rings is considered an indoor winter game. There is a governing body for the game of Rings – World Ring Board Academy – and All Ireland Championships are still played.
Let’s keep the Irish tradition of the Game of Rings alive!
Traditional Wooden Ring Board
Handcrafted Traditional Wooden Ring Board. This size Ring Board is suitable for both children and adults to play for fun, particularly in school or at home.
Heritage Ring Board
This Board is currently unavailable
The Heritage Ring Board is the same size as the Traditional Wooden Ring Board. This Ring Board has a lovely image of the map of Ireland on it.
Championship Ring Board
For the more serious player the full-sized Championship Ring Board is recommended. You may even consider entering the Irish National Championships, which is held in Ireland each Spring, when 400 people will play as either individuals or in teams.
Framed Championship Ring Board
Another option is the full size and framed board. The Framed Championship Ring Board is most suited to a permanent venue such as a pub or social club.
Junior Ring Board
One for the tots, the Junior Ring Board is too cute. Suitable for children aged 3 to 8 years and is fantastic for hand to eye co-ordination.
All the Ring Boards stocked at Totally Irish Gifts are handmade in Ireland in Co. Kerry.
Rules for the Game of Rings
To stop any family arguments, here are the general rules of Rings!
1) Take turns to throw the six rings and total your score of any rings hanging on the Ring Board hooks (values from 1 to 13).
2) A score is only counted if the ring is hanging down from the hook.
3) Rings can be thrown over or under hand for young beginners but only under hand for older or advanced players.
4) Players must stand an agreed distance from the Ring Board, marked by a line set out on the ground, called the ‘oche’. A distance of c.160cm and height of c.140cm is recommended for children under 9 years. For adults and children over 9 years a distance of c.180 cm and a height of c.160cm should provide a good challenge. For advanced players wishing to comply with World Ring Board Academy, rules the ‘oche’ must be 259cm horizontally from the face of the Ring Board and the number 13 hook should by 178 cm vertically from the floor.
Did you know there are many different levels of games for the Ring Board?
1) Beginners game 1 (50 Plus)
The player that reaches or exceeds a pre-agreed number (e.g. 50) using the fewest rings wins the game.
2) Beginners game 2 (High Score)
The highest score after each player has thrown three sets of rings wins the game.
3) Intermediate game (31)
The first player to reach a score of 31 using as few rings as possible wins. This is a great way to practice mental arithmetic. For example, a player hooks a 10 then a 9, these are added together to get the total score so far (19) and subtract this from 31 to find the number which must be hooked to win (12). If e.g. 4 is accidentally hooked instead, this is subtracted from 12 to find 8 needs to be hooked to win, etc.
4) Advanced game 1 (Traditional Game of Rings)
This is the standard and most popular game played on a Ring Board. According to the rules of the World Ring Board Academy, games are played to a pre-agreed total and then ended by hooking the 1, e.g. 100 + the 1. Once the player gets within thirteen of the total, they are assigned a nomination number. The player’s next scoring ring must land on their nomination number and if a ring lands on any other number the player’s turn is finished immediately (this is called hanging up), e.g. if a player reaches 91, the nomination number becomes 9 and the player must now hook the 9. As for the final 1, it is played in a similar way to the nomination number. If a player lands on any number other then 1, the score doesn’t count and their turn is up.
5) Advanced game 2 (Around the Clock)
Players attempting to hook every number in sequence from 1-13. If a player hooks an incorrect number his or her turn is over. This game requires great physical skill and accuracy of ring throwing.
Happy Game of Rings Playing!
Shauna
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