At the annual event in Farmleigh House, six bronze medals and 13 silver medals were awarded, along with 26 certificates, to recognise acts of bravery. A posthumous gold medal was awarded to James Nicholl, who selflessly tried to save a man drowning in the Liffey in April.
These honours for bravery are awarded annually by Comhairle na Míre Gaile, the Deeds of Bravery Council, founded in 1947 to enable State recognition of exceptional acts. The council is chaired by the Ceann Comhairle and includes the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, the lord mayors of Dublin and Cork, the Garda Commissioner, the President of the Association of City & County Councils and the Chairman of the Irish Red Cross.
Some of the recipients of the 2023 Bravery Awards with their friends and families
Speaking at the ceremony, the Ceann Comhairle stated:
Today the Irish State recognises and celebrates the noblest impulse in a human being, the impulse to risk our lives in order to save someone else’s. But just as importantly, what these awards also do is mark the importance of the lives that were saved and also those that were lost.
Read a full list of the award recipients this year including details of their acts of bravery and courage. View photos from the event on the Houses of the Oireachtas Flickr page.