The Walter Scott Medal for Valor is a medal awarded for acts of bravery by 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 ...

. It is not a state award, being in the gift of the

Garda Commissioner The Garda Commissioner ( ga, Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. The Garda Commissione ...

History

The Garda medal was instituted at the behest of Colonel Walter Scott, a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

who took an interest in policing. In 1923 he gave to the Garda a one thousand dollar gold Bond, which would pay in perpetuity for a gold medal. The award was to be presented under the following condition: ''No action, however heroic, will merit the award of the Scott medal unless it takes the shape of an act of personal bravery, performed intelligently in the execution of duty at imminent risk to the life of the doer, and armed with full previous knowledge of the risk involved''. In 1942, the award condition was amended to ''most exceptional bravery and heroism involving the risk of life in the execution of duty''.

Design

The medal was designed by John F. Maxwell, a Dublin-based teacher who also designed the Garda Síochána crest. The medal is a

Celtic cross The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses er ...

which is in diameter with five panels on the face. The inscription on the top panel is "The Scott Medal" and on the lower panel "For Valor" (note the

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lan ...

usage of the word "valour"). On the right and left are the eagle and shield of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and the harp and sunburst of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, respectively. The centerpiece is the Garda Crest with the intertwined letters G.S. for Garda Síochána. The reverse is inscribed "Gharda Síochána na h-Éireann". The four outside panels are the arms of the four provinces of Ireland,

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

and

Connaught Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

Notable recipients

* Yvonne Burke *

Deaths of Henry Byrne and John Morley Henry Byrne and John Morley, two officers of the Garda Síochána, the police force of Ireland, were murdered on 7 July 1980 by alleged members of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). The officers' deaths provoked national outrage. Three m ...

(1980) *

John Martin Cafferky John Martin Cafferky, Garda 17328C, recipient of the Scott Medal, born 30 July 1947. A native of Keel, Achill, County Mayo, Cafferky was one of a number of Guards who arrived at the scene of a burning terraced house in Ballyfermot on 10 Septemb ...

* John M. G. Cosgrove * Richard Fallon (1970) * Jerry McCabe, awarded posthumously after he was shot and killed during a

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...

robbery * Patrick J. Molloy * Henry L. Smith * Brian Connaughton

References

{{Garda Síochána Garda Síochána Orders, decorations, and medals of Ireland Awards established in 1923 Law enforcement awards and honors

History

Design

Notable recipients

See also

References