The Fianna were founded on the 16th of August 1909 and on the 16th of August 1959 this medal was issued to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The medal was issued by Na Fianna to mark the anniversary and has no connection with either the 1916 Rising or The War of Independence and was issued to or bought by serving or ex-Fianna members. Some medals may have been issued to ex-Fianna members who served in the Rising or War of Independence but as the medals were issued un-named it is not possible to identify these unless accompanied by supporting evidence.

The anniversary of Na Fianna was marked on the 16ht of August by the publication of a Jubilee souvenir containing a history of the movement. Although some Fianna members served important roles in the 1916 Rising the movement remained small in comparison to the Boy Scout Movement. Many ex-Fianna members went on to serve as active members of the IRA.

The name Fianna Éireann also called Fianna na hÉireann and Na Fianna Éireann which translates into English as Soldiery of Ireland or Warriors' of Ireland, named after the mythological Fianna, has been used by various Irish republican youth movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. "Fianna na hÉireann" is currently on the list of terrorist groups proscribed in the United Kingdom under the Terrorism Act (2000).

From August 1915 up to Easter week there were nine Companies of Fianna Éireann and the Fianna Éireann Band in Dublin. No. 1 Company Camden Street Company Commander P Cassidy. No. 2 Company Dolphins Barn Company Commander Barney Mellows who was also director of finance. No.3 Company Inchicore Company Commander Ernie Murray. No. 4 Company Ranelagh Company Commander Niall MacNeill. No. 5 Company Merchants Quay Company Commander Gerry Holland No 6 Company North Frederick Street Company Commander Sean Heuston also Vice-Commandant and Director of Training. No. 7 Company Blackhall Street Sean McLoughlin. No. 8 Company Fairview Leo Henderson No 9 Company Dollymount Company Commander Padraig O Dalaigh. Battalion Band Commander M. Callender Killed in France in 1915.

Fianna Éireann, organized as a youth hurling league, for boys and girls, existed in West Belfast 1903 (Witness Statement of Bulmer Hobson to the Bureau of Military History 1948). Bulmer Hobson was a member of the I.R.B. Hobson relocated to Dublin and the organization collapsed in Belfast. In Dublin, Hobson became acquainted with Constance Markiewicz, Helena Moloney and others, who were all members of the newly founded Sinn Féin. They were members of the Drumcondra branch. It is unclear as to weather it was Markiewicz or Hobson who first had the idea of setting up a Republican Youth Movement in Dublin, Hobson, in his statement to the Military Bureau claims he approached Markiewicz with the idea but several other sources state that Markiewicz saw some of the newly formed Boy Scouts on the streets of Dublin and was horrified to see the sons of Irishmen who had died for Ireland would be induced to join such a British Imperialistic organization. The first Na Fianna Sluagh was set up in Dublin in 1909. It was claimed in a radio program “Talk History” on News Talk radio that Baden Powell the founder of the Scout movement had approached Pearse about setting up a Boy Scout Troop prior to the setting up of the first Fianna Sluagh. (A Sluagh is equivalent to a Boy Scout Troop).

Each company had a ‘An Chead Sluagh’ also spelled without the H, ‘An Chead Sluagh’ was the Headquarters with other Branches in its area. It was not unusual in the early days of the Fianna for different branches of the same company to wear a different style uniform. Camden Street wore Jerseys and Kilts, Sluagh Emmet wore cotton shirts with green slouch hats and blue knickers (knickers were a different thing in 1909 than they are today). The double breasted shirt with brass buttons worn by the Fianna was designed by Michael Lonergan, he got the idea from the American Army uniform. Described as ‘he was a very good type of boy with a great taste in clothes’ he worked in Clerys on O’Connell Street Dublin. He had a very high standard of efficiency and was a very competent drill instructor and was recruited by the I.R.B. as Drill Instructor in Foresters Hall at 41 Parnell Square in 1912. He moved to America in 1914 to be with his mother and the rest of the family who were living in New York at the time. He worked in a bank in New York and went on to play a prominent role in establishing the Catholic Boy Scouts of America.