The Military Medal For Gallantry (MMG) ( ga, An Bonn Míleata Calmachta) is a military decoration awarded 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 gover ...

. It is the highest award of the

military awards and decorations of Ireland Though Ireland has no formal honours system, there are systems of awards run by the state. Among those systems is the system of awards and medals awarded to members of the Defence Forces. In addition to the medals issued by the Irish government, ...

History

Created in 1944, the Military Medal for Gallantry is awarded in three different classes. Originally referred to as 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, but since 1984 they have been respectively been referred to with Honour, with Distinction, and with Merit. Since the medal's inception it has been awarded six times with Distinction and twice with Merit. It has never been awarded with Honour.

Criteria

The Military Medal for Gallantry is awarded for "any act of exceptional bravery or gallantry (other than one performed on war service) arising out of, or associated with, military service and involving risk to life and limb." The medal can be awarded to officers, non-commissioned officers, or privates/seaman/aircrew of the Defence Forces and to members of the Army Nursing Service and Chaplaincy Services.

Appearance

The medal is made of

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

when awarded with Honour and is bronze when awarded with Distinction and Merit. The

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...

of the medal depicts a cross with St. Brendan's knot on each arm. Superimposed on the cross is a laurel wreath. In the centre are the words ''DE ḂARR CALMAĊTA'' (For Gallantry). The reverse is plain except for the inscription ''An Bonn Míleata Calmaċta'' arching over a scroll on which to inscribes the recipient's name. The maker's

hallmark A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term '' hallmark'' can a ...

is located at the bottom. The medal hangs from a straight arm suspension attached to a ribbon which is green and crimson. The ribbon for the medal with Honour is green with a central stripe of crimson, while the medal with Distinction is green with stripes of crimson at the edges, and the medal with Merit is green with 3-millimetre crimson edges and a 3-millimetre crimson central stripe. Subsequent awards of the medal are denoted by a metal disc bearing a Celtic

triquetra The triquetra ( ; from the Latin adjective ''triquetrus'' "three-cornered") is a triangular figure composed of three interlaced arcs, or (equivalently) three overlapping '' vesicae piscis'' lens shapes. It is used as an ornamental design in ar ...

design.

Recipients

There have only been eight recipients of the Military Medal for Gallantry, of which 6 have received it with Distinction (2nd class) and 2 with Merit (3rd class).

References

{{Highest gallantry awards by BQMS Ger O'Connor 54 Reserve Artillery Regiment Mullingar 2010 Orders, decorations, and medals of Ireland Courage awards Awards established in 1944 1944 establishments in Ireland