1916 Medal 1916 Medal The 1916 Medal is a service medal of the Republic of Ireland. Established 24 January 1941, the medal was awarded to those who rendered recognized military service during the week of 23 April 1916 during the Easter Rising. The 1916 Medal is a bronze circular medal approximately in diameter. The design replicates the official Irish Army crest, a sunburst surmounted by an 8-pointed star. The obverse of the medal bears a depiction of the death of Cúchulainn, partially surrounded by a sword belt. On the reverse is the inscription: "SEAĊTAIN NA CÁSCA 1916", which translates to "Easter Week
Irish Citizen Army authorities tolerated the open drilling and bearing of arms by the ICA, thinking that to clamp down on the organisation would provoke further unrest. A small group of IRB conspirators within the Irish Volunteers movement had started planning a rising. Worried that Connolly would embark on premature military action with the ICA, they approached him and inducted him into the IRB's Supreme Council to co-ordinate their preparations for the armed rebellion which became known as the Easter Rising. On Monday, 24 April 1916, 220 members of the ICA (including 28 women) took part in the Easter Rising, alongside a much