Eunice Kennedy Shriver was celebrated by family members as a passionate humanitarian and a pious woman devoid of vanity, hours after thousands of mourners flocked to a church to pay their respects to the founder of the Special Olympics.

A book of condolence is due to be opened in Dublin today for the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who died on Tuesday at the age of 88.

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.