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") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...
.
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, a
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
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
upright 0.75 , A Celtic cross symbol
The Celtic cross is a form of ringed cross, a Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring, that emerged in the British Isles and Western Europe in the Early Middle Ages. It became widespread through its u ...
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 lang ...
usage of the word "valour"). On the right and left are the eagle and shield of the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and the harp and sunburst of Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, 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 (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
, Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
, Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
and Connaught.[
]
Recipients
* Patrick Malone (1935)
* Yvonne Burke
* Deaths of Henry Byrne and John Morley (1980)
* John Martin Cafferky
* John M. G. Cosgrove
* James O'Callaghan (1969)
* Richard Fallon (1970)
* Jerry McCabe, awarded posthumously after he was shot and killed during a Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
robbery
See also
* List of Irish police officers killed in the line of duty
References
{{Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
Orders, decorations, and medals of Ireland
Awards established in 1923
Law enforcement awards and honors