October 2026 (1) - Flipbook - Page 73
promising tie with the US to
build on their leading score
the day before, Scotland (489)
ended the day struggling with
Australia and Canada for a
creditable placing in the 昀椀nal
results. Canada, 昀椀ring slower
than at other ranges, still could
not match the other teams’
scores, but improved on their
900 yard score and 昀椀nished
with 476. Australia shot well at
the closing range, scoring 501.
Ireland came to be looked
upon as the only competition
of the Americans. The crowd’s
anxiety grew as they watched
Ireland, shooting with care
and deliberation, progressively
narrow the gap between them
and America. Although Ireland
beat America by 26 points at
1,000 yards, scoring 535 to 509,
they could not overcome the
overall American lead.
As the shooting drew to
a close around 6:00pm, the
enthusiastic spectators became
a little unruly and crowded
forward. At the end of the
shooting and with the result
known, they broke through
the lines and, with cheers and
shouts, they congratulated the
Americans on their victory.
Unwilling to disperse, the
crowds followed the teams to
their quarters on the range and
called upon them for speeches.
The American team mounted
a table so the spectators could
see them better. Their captain,
Maj. Fulton, came forward and
said that the match had been
won only by a 昀椀ght, and called
for a toast to the foreign teams
who had “forced them into the
hardest 昀椀ght on record”.
The 昀椀nal results were:
America 3,126, Ireland 3,104,
Scotland 3,062, Australia 3,062,
Canada 2,923.
General Hawley presented
the Centennial Trophy to the
American team at Gilmore’s
Gardens on 15 September, in
the presence of 15,000 people,
as many as the Gardens could
accommodate.
The match was 昀椀red again in
1877, but then faded away until
a short revival in the early 20th
century. The modern revival of
the Palma Match commenced in
1966, and it is still 昀椀red today.
Research Press Digest 2024
by David Minshall (Editor)
Marking the 150th anniversary (1874 – 2024) of the momentous
昀椀rst ri昀氀e match between Ireland and the United States of
America, and following the story over the succeeding 40
years. This is an historical record of the formative years of
international long range target ri昀氀e shooting. It tells the story of
Creedmoor and the international matches of the 19th century,
and the revival of the Palma Match in the early 20th century.
Two chapters discuss 昀椀rearms: one covers the Creedmoor ri昀氀es
of 1874, and the second covers the changes in competition rules
made by the National Ri昀氀e Association in the UK during the
1890s. The latter saw the demise of the black powder ri昀氀e. The
closing chapter, originally published in 1911, o昀昀ers a fascinating
insight into the development of Target Shooting sports and how
rules had to adapt to advances in ri昀氀e and ammunition design.
Some 19th century ri昀氀emen saw the transition of their black
powder muzzle loading match ri昀氀es of the 1870s, evolve through
the development of single shot breech loading ri昀氀es, and 昀椀nish
their shooting career with magazine fed bolt action ri昀氀es 昀椀ring
ammunition loaded with smokeless powders.
See: www.researchpress.uk/publishing/research-press/
God Bless Black Powder!
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