1916 medals awarded to Defence Forces sold on Ebay

Special medals given to members of the Defence Forces to commemorate the 1916 centenary are being sold on Ebay and similar online auction sites.

A senator, who is a former soldier, said he is “very saddened” to discover this, but believes young soldiers are selling them to make ends meet because they are so poorly paid.

Senator Gerard Craughwell said he believes that older soldiers who have served on the border and in overseas UN postings would “be very unlikely to part company with them because they would value what they represent”.