Tom Caldwell

Tom Caldwell was born in Kilmarnock and started an apprenticeship as a watchmaker and jeweller, but felt there was little scope for him to practice his skills and moved to Glasgow to finish his apprenticeship. Shortly after the move, Caldwell joined the famous 3rd Lanark Volunteer Regiment and it was then that his passion for rifle shooting began.

An offer to enhance his career saw Caldwell move across the water to Ireland when he was in his 20s, when he moved to the City of Derry. He soon joined the Derry Rifle Club, which was in decline at the time, but he soon contributed towards its revival. He later moved to Belfast and joined the Ulster Rifle Association, who had some of the finest shooting ranges in the United Kingdom at the time. Caldwell also got a job with Sharman D. Neil Limited, the famous Belfast firm of goldsmiths and jewellers, and he would stay with them for many years and eventually become a director of the company.

Although Caldwell was selected to represent Ireland in the 1880 Anglo-Irish shooting match, he never forgot his roots and, in the international Elcho Shield at Bisley, involving the four counties of the United Kingdom, he chose to represent his country of birth, Scotland, which he did for more than 30 years after making his début in 1881.

Caldwell won countless honours in Ireland and also enjoyed successes at Bisley including the 1900 Halford Memorial Challenge Cup and the 1910 Waldegrave Match Rifle event with a score of 98 out of 100. He competed at Bisley for the 40th consecutive year in 1928 and just missed out on a prize by one point. He was in his 75th year at the time. Caldwell’s contribution to shooting in Ireland was vast and he spent many years holding the Ulster Rifle Association together as secretary and later vice-chairman.