Creedmore Cup for Blueball shooting centre
Up on 70 of the world's top shooters are in Offaly this week to compete after a challenge by President of the National Rifle Association of America John Sigler to the Chair of the National Rifle Association of Ireland Noel Kelly.
The "Ryder Cup of the Shooting World" takes the form of the Creedmore Cup, which was last shot at Dollymount Strand in Dublin in 1875 to a crowd of almost fifty thousand. While the same numbers are not expected at the event to be shot in the Midlands National Shooting Centre of Ireland in Blueball, secretary Jim Griffin says everyone is welcome.
The Creedmore Cup is the stuff of legends. It was begun when Tiffany's in New York built a trophy that today would cost $40,000. Abandoned in 1875 because of the Irish political landscape, the trophy disappeared and has never been tracked down since.
For this year's revival competition an oak and silver trophy takes the place of the original, built in Dublin costing something in the region of €4,000.
The competition has been honoured with two civic receptions - one with the Lord Mayor of Dublin on Monday and one hosted by Offaly County Council last night.
The shooting centre in Blueball was chosen for the competition as it's the largest range in Ireland, and the only one that can facilitate such a competition. The competition will return to America in four years, and Ireland in four years after that again.
The weekend will see just over 60 shooters compete for the new Creedmore Cup, before the competition is closed with help from Mountbolus Pipe Band.
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