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
Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain in the British military, however, and ten pilots from the country fought in the RAF during the Battle of Britain. One of them, Brendan "Paddy" Finucane, became an ace who would claim a total of 32 enemy aircraft before he was killed in 1942. The eldest of five children, Finucane grew up in County Dublin, where his father had taken part in the Easter Rising of 1916. He and his family moved to England in 1936, and he enlisted in the Royal Air Force aged 17. Finucane became operational in July 1940 and downed his first Bf 109 on 12