Call for serving gardaí to receive commemorative medal on force’s centenary

A call has been made for An Garda Síochána to issue a commemorative medal to every serving officer during the force’s centenary year in 2022.

Independent TD Cathal Berry highlighted the suggestion from the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors that a medal should be struck and presented to every garda.

The Kildare TD and former Army officer said “a very similar suggestion was made in 2016 for members of the Defence Forces. Every serving member received a commemorative medal marking the Defence Forces’ centenary.”

As part of preparations to commemorate the centenary since the force was founded the Government is considering issuing a commemorative ribbon and coin for personnel working during the centenary year.

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Minister of State for Justice James Browne said he would "take note of and account of" the suggestion for a commemorative medal, and bring it to the attention of An Garda Síochána.

Two events have so far been planned, co-ordinated by a centenary committee led by senior gardaí.

The force will on February 7th, 2022, mark a meeting in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin of a committee which decided to form the Civic Guard. This would later be renamed An Garda Síochána under section 22 of the 1923 Garda Síochána (Temporary Provisions) Act.

The second event, which is due to take place on August 21st, 2022, will commemorate the “storming of Dublin Castle” by the then Garda commissioner on August 17th, 1922, when the Civic Guard took control of Dublin Castle.

The committee is considering the publication of a commemorative book, localised exhibitions and events to mark the centenary throughout 2022.

When the issue came up in the Dáil in recent days Mr Browne said the committee was also looking at digitising historic Garda materials to make them publicly available online, including a photographic exhibition as well as additional exhibitions in the Garda Museum.

Oral history project

Dr Berry also said the Garda Síochána Retired Members Association suggested an oral history project similar to one taking place for Defence Forces personnel in the military archives in Cathal Brugha barracks.

“There is a large volume of testimony and eyewitness accounts from Garda Síochána operations over past decades, so again we should probably consider an oral history-type project,” the regional Independent TD said.

Mr Browne described the suggestion as a “very worthy idea” which he would bring to the organising committee.

The Minister added: “We know that oral histories can be extremely important, especially for generations to come.”

He said the Defence Forces oral history project was carried out in the late 1940s and early 1950s. “It is through those records that I know about the actions of my great-grandfather in 1916,” he said.