Medals were instituted on October 6, 1944 for award to those who served the qualifying periods with good conduct.
However, the production and issue of the insignia did not commence until 1947.

The series is probably unique in that the medals have a common obverse but no fewer that tweleve different reverses and two types of ribbons. Some of these are rare, but the majority are common, having been issued in tens of thousands.

OBVERSE :  Identical for all medals, it depicts a female figure, representing Eire, facing left, in long flowing robes and a windblown coat. In her right hand she holds a long sword, point down, and in her left the leash of a straining Irish Wolfhound. Above and around her is the inscription "RE NA PRAINNE", meaning Emergency Period.

REVERSES :  A spray of laurel in the centre, between the dates 1939-1946. Above and around this are the inscriptions appropriate to the particular organisation eligible for the medals. One difference being The Merchant Marine medal, it had a steamship at sae with a sailing ship just visable in the background. (See all inscriptions below)

1) NA FORSA COSANTA (The Defence Forces) :  The regular Army, Air Corps and Naval Service.

2) AN FORSA COSANTA AITUIL (The Local Defence Forces) : A volunteer reserve force organised on a regional basis and designed to support the regular army by point defence and guerrilla activities. Created in January 1942.

3) FORSA NA NOGLACH 2U (Second Line Volunteer Reserve) : When the peacetime reserves were called out for full time service at the start of the Emergency Period, their place was taken by the Second Line, a wartime creation. It consisted of infantry, field engineers and medical units, all members being men and women of mature ages.

4) 26U CATHLAN (26th Battalion) : Part of the Second Line Reserve, this unit was manned almost exclusively by members of the Old-IRA, whom had seen action in the 1916 Easter Rising and Irish War of Independence 1919-1921.

5) AN SLUA MUIRI (The Maritime Inscription) : This too was  part of the Second Line Reserve and was
supplementary to the small Naval Service or fishery protection force created in 1939.

6) AN SEIRBHIS SEIPLINEACHTA (The Chaplaincy Service) : Apart from the small number of uniformed clergy some civilian officiating chaplains were also eligible for this medal.

7) SEIRBHIS ALTRANAIS AN AIRM (The Army Nursing Service) : Founded in 1922 at the formation of the state and Reorganised in 1932, this was one of the smaller, but by no means least, important units of the Defence Forces. 

8) RANNA CABHAIR DEONTACA CUMANN CROISE DEIRGE NA H-EIREANN (Volunteer Aid Division - Irish Red Cross Society) : Members of the VAD undertook work in direct support of the Defence Forces.

9) RANNA CEAD-CABHRAC CUMANN CROISE DEIRGE NA H-EIREANN (First Aid Division -  Irish Red Cross
Society) :  This section FAD, undertook work in aid of the civilian population during the Emergency.

10) NA SEIRBHISE REAMHCURAIM IN AGHAIDH AER-RUTHAR (Air Raid Precautions Organisations) : A civilian passive defence, rescue, warden and fire service established in 1943 under the operational control of the Dept of
Defence.

11) CAOMNOIRI AITIULA (Local Security Force) : Created in May 1940 as an auxiliary regional police and security force, it had about 148,000 members at its peak.

12) AN TSEIRBIS MUIR-TRACTALA (The Merchant Marine Medal) : Awarded to men who served on Irish registered ships for at least six months.

RIBBONS :  There are three types of ribbon, both 32mm wide. The first, for medals 1 to 7 is reddish orange with two white stripes. The second, for medals 8 to 11, is reddish orange with a single white stripe in the middle.  Number 12 is blue with a single white stripe in the centre.

SUSPENSION :  The ribbon is threaded through a ring that is affixed to the top of the medal and hangs from a bronze pin bearing the words "SEIRBHIS NAISUNTA" meaning National Service.

BARS :  Were authorised for each additional two years service, consecutive or aggregate, beyond the qualifying period, no more than two bars being awarded to anyone. The bars which are sewn onto the ribbon, are bronze and bear the dates 1939-1946 with a laurel spray between. Rare versions of the Merchant Marine Medal did have 3 bars.

DESIGNER :  Laurence Campbell, RHA, whose name appears on the bottom right of the front.

MANUFACTURERS :  P. Quinn Ltd. And The Jewellery and Metal Mfg, Co.

NUMBERS ISSUED :  The Dept of Justice approximates that nearly 240,000 Emergency medals were issued to the various organisations. ALL of these emergency medals were issued un-named.