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Long Service Medal For Members Of The Irish Prison Service.
By Tom 0'Neill
A twenty-one year, Long Service Medal has been instituted for members of the Irish Prison Service with effect from September 2002. This is the first time in the history of the State that a service medal was presented to members of the Prison Service
The first presentations were made to twenty-seven (27) recipients by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Michael Mc Dowell, T .D .at a ceremony in the Services Training Centre, Beladd House, Portlaoise, on the 17 February, 2003.
The breakdown of recipients was six from Portlaoise, five from Midlands Prison, one from each of the other fifteen prisons and one from Building Services Division.
The medals are engraved on the reverse with the recipients initial and surname. The following is the list of recipients,
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Portlaoise
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Gov.
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Wm 0’
Donoghue |
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Officers
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P. Coss |
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N. Dwyer |
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M Hickey |
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J. Walsh
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Clerk 2
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L. Walshe |
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Midlands Prison
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Chief Officer
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M.Foley
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Clerk 1
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J.
Quigley
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A.C.O.
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P. Hughes
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Officers
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M. Brown
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M. Reid
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Mountjoy |
Officer |
P. Phelan |
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Dochas
(Womens Prison)
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Industrial Supervisor
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E. 0'
Brien |
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St. Patricks
Training Unit |
C.T.O.
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J. Meehan
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A.C.O.
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P. Curran
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Curragh |
Officer
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J. Brogan
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Castlerea
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A/ Gov.
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V. Melvin
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Arbour Hill
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A.C.O.
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F. Mc Ardle
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Wheatfield
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Chief Officer
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A. 0' Riordan
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Cloverhill
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Officer
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J. Mullen
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Cork
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A.C.O.
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J. Buckley
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Fort Mitchel,
(Spike Isle)
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C.T.0.
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T. 0’Neill
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Shelton Abbey
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Officer
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T. Ryan
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Limerick
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Officer
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A. Danagher
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Loughan House
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Officer
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M. Hargadon
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Shanganagh Castle
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Clerk 2
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N. Griffin
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Building Services
Division
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Clerk 2
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T. Dawson
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The introduction of a long service medal has been discussed over the last several years but it was only in 1998 that the present Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Mr. Sean Aylward decided to go ahead with the idea.
A competition was organised during 1998 and several individuals submitted designs. The winning design was submitted by Instructor Dermot Hearne from Wheatfield Prison and the runner up was myself.
The medal is standard size and has a polished and lacquered brass finish. The ribbon is suspended from a bar of similar material and the Roman “XX1” is on relief on the bar signifying 21 years. .
On the obverse just inside the rim and across the top is “Seirbhis Phriosuin na hEireann” and Inside the lower half again curved is “In Recognition of Twenty-One Years Service” in the centre is the Services' logo of the scales of justice below a harp surrounded by the E.U stars. The reverse is similar only without the scales harp and stars. The recipients name is engraved in capitals in the centre of the reverse.
The ribbon is 33 mm wide, 14 mm navy blue on left, 5 mm yellow central and 14 mm green on right.
It is estimated that there are approximately nine hundred (900) members of the Service entitled to the medal. It has as yet not been decided how these will be presented but more than likely by the Prison Governor at local level. These medals will also be engraved with the recipients name.
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