Comhairle na Míre Gaile (''Council for the Recognition of Deeds of Bravery'') is a council established by the

Government of Ireland The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...

to recognise acts of bravery which attempt to save life.Deeds of Bravery Act, 1947
Irish Statute Book It has awarded medals and certificates, and may also award financial compensation with the consent of the

Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

. The National Bravery Awards are presented annually at

Farmleigh Farmleigh is the official Irish state guest house. It was formerly one of the Dublin residences of the Guinness family. It is situated on an elevated position above the River Liffey to the north-west of the Phoenix Park, in Castleknock. The est ...

by the

Ceann Comhairle The (; "Head of heCouncil"; plural usually ) is the chairperson (or speaker) of , the lower house of the (parliament) of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the from among their number in the first session a ...

, the chair of the council.

Members

The council has listed seven members, of whom four constitute a

quorum A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

: * the

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

, the chair of the council * the

Cathaoirleach Cathaoirleach (; Irish for chairperson; plural: ) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach, who has held the off ...

Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house). It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...

* the chairperson of the Central Council of the

Irish Red Cross The Irish Red Cross Society (IRCS; also Irish Red Cross or IRC; ga, Crois Dhearg na hÉireann) is the National Red Cross Society for the Republic of Ireland. (Northern Ireland comes under the aegis of the British Red Cross.) The society was f ...

* the

Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The ...

* the

Lord Mayor of Cork The Lord Mayor of Cork ( ga, Ard-Mhéara Chathair Chorcaí) is the honorific title of the Chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach) of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork (city), Cork in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. ...

* the chairperson of the Association of County and City Councils (formerly called the General Council of County Councils) * the commissioner of the

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...

. The secretary of the council is a civil servant in the

Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

History

''Comhairle na Míre Gaile'' was established by the Deeds of Bravery Act, 1947. The concept was introduced on a non-statutory basis in June 1945, when a committee was formed with the same members who would later form ''Comhairle na Míre Gaile''. A supplementary estimate of £250 was authorised for the Minister of Justice to fund the scheme's inaugural year, including the travel expenses of honorees to

Áras an Uachtaráin (; "Residence of the President"), formerly the Viceregal Lodge, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Ireland. It is located off Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. The building design was credite ...

to receive their awards from the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

.Committee on Finance. – Vote 32—Office of the Minister for Justice
Dáil debates Vol.97 cc.1716–29, 27 June 1945 James Dillon proposed that the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

should be the competent body rather than a new committee. Originally the President was to present the highest award, the Gold Medal; other awards were presented by the local district court judge, or the mayor if the deed was in a city or borough. In recent years, all awards are presented in an annual ceremony by the Ceann Comhairle. The first Gold Medal was presented in 1956. Nine more were presented between 1992 and 2010.

Awards

Acts of bravery are eligible for recognition if committed in Ireland or on an Irish- registered ship.

Defence Forces The phrase Defence Force(s) (or Defense Force(s) in US English - see spelling differences) is in the title of the armed forces of certain countries and territories. Defence forces * Ambazonia Defence Forces *Artsakh Defence Army * Australian Defen ...

personnel are not eligible for acts performed while on

active service Active may refer to: Music * ''Active'' (album), a 1992 album by Casiopea * Active Records, a record label Ships * ''Active'' (ship), several commercial ships by that name * HMS ''Active'', the name of various ships of the British Royal ...

; however the Defence Forces have their own medals and awards, beginning with the medal issued to participants in the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

in 1941, on its 25th anniversary. Gardaí are eligible for Comhairle awards, although the

Scott Medal The Walter Scott Medal for Valor is a medal awarded for acts of bravery by the Garda Síochána. It is not a state award, being in the gift of the Garda Commissioner. History The Garda medal was instituted at the behest of Colonel Walter Scott, ...

is the

's own highest award for valour. The

Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...

(RNLI) reached an agreement with the state in 1948 whereby ''Comhairle na Míre Gaile'' would not make awards to RNLI personnel and the RNLI would not make awards to others for deeds which had already been recognised by ''Comhairle na Míre Gaile''. The medal may be awarded in gold, silver or bronze, with ribbons respectively coloured green, red, or blue, in each case with two white stripes. The medal was designed by Richard King after an open competition. From 1945 to September 2010, the council awarded 10 gold, 68 silver, and 261 bronze medals; 1,468 certificates; and nine letters of commendation.

References

External links

National Bravery Awards
official website
"Comhairle na Míre Gaile."
digitised scan of annual reports, 1947–81, from the Oireachtas library website {{DEFAULTSORT:Comhairle na Mire Gaile State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland Orders, decorations, and medals of Ireland Government agencies established in 1947 1947 establishments in Ireland Courage awards Lifesaving