Mary Davis first burst into the public consciousness in 2003 as the Irish woman who spearheaded the Special Olympics moving out of the US for the first time.

A major mover behind the Tipperary International Peace Prize has been honoured by his “own people” with a Person of the Year award.

President John F Kennedy’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a champion for the rights of mentally disabled people and founder of the Special Olympics, died today aged 88.

Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday collecting on behalf of the Special Olympics movement, which seeks to help people with intellectual disabilities by harnessing the power of sport to unite people in the spirit of acceptance and inclusion.