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Creedmoor and the International Matchesby David Minshall |
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The
NRA in America
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The Irish ChallengeThe establishment in 1859 of the Volunteer Movement in Great Britain and subsequent formation of the British NRA that year generated a massive growth of interest in rifle shooting. In Ireland in 1861 enthusiasts founded the Ulster Rifle Association and Maj. Arthur Leech was instrumental in founding the Dublin Shooting Club. That same year a challenge published in a Scottish newspaper that Scotland would shoot against England was taken up. The match was limited to Volunteers, in teams of eight, and was fired at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. To perpetuate the match the chairman of the NRA, Lord Elcho, presented the Elcho Shield for annual competition. The first match took place in 1862, with England emerging the winners. The Volunteer movement was to the exclusion of Ireland, who, not having any Volunteers was not eligible to take part in the Elcho Shield match. After many applications to the NRA to allow the Irish to enter for this prize, the strictness of the rule was relaxed and an Irish team was allowed to compete in 1865. At Wimbledon between 1862 and 1872 the Elcho Shield match was won eight times by England and three times by Scotland, then, finally, in 1873 Ireland won. Buoyed by their
success in beating England and Scotland, Ireland wanted further laurels.
Having enlisted the support of several of the best Irish rifle shots,
Major Leech addressed a challenge to America. Not aware of the existence
of the NRA in American, the Irish challenge to the 'Riflemen of America'
was sent to the editor of the New York Herald. It was published on 22
November 1873. The challenge was for a team match to be fired at ranges
of 800, 900, 1000 and 1100 yards. The Irish were to shoot with muzzle-loading
rifles made by Rigby, of Dublin, and the Americans were required to
use rifles of a bonâ fide American manufacture.
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©2004 DB Minshall | ||
