1916 Centenary Commemorative Medal 1916 Centenary Commemorative Medal The 1916 Centenary Commemorative Medal () is a military decoration awarded by the Government of Ireland to personnel of the Irish Defence Forces who served in 2016 to honour the legacy of continued service by the military to the state since its foundation and in recognition for the role they played to commemorate 100 years since the 1916 Easter Rising. The Centenary Commemorative Medal was awarded to all Permanent and Reserve personnel of the Defence Forces in December 2016 in acknowledgement for the ceremonial role played by "Óglaigh na hÉireann" across all aspects of the centenary
History of Ireland (1801–1923) with militant republicanism, particularly Irish-American republicanism. It was from the former Irish Volunteer ranks that the Irish Republican Brotherhood organized an armed rebellion in 1916. Because of divisions among the Volunteer leadership, only a small part of their numbers was mobilized. Indeed, Eoin MacNeill, the Volunteer commander, countermanded orders to units to begin the insurrection. Nevertheless, at Easter 1916, a small band of 1500 republican rebels (Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army) staged a rebellion, called the "Easter Rising" in Dublin, under Padraig Pearse and James Connolly. The Rising was put down after a week's fighting. Initially their acts were widely