The US ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith, yesterday honoured eight mothers of special-needs children at her residence in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Mothers Awards were named after the ambassador's mother, who was herself the mother of a child with special needs.
The eight mothers are: Ms Elizabeth Aiken, Co Down; Ms Margaret Carey, Co Fermanagh; Ms Annie Ryan, Co Dublin; Ms Patricia Farrell, Co Westmeath; Ms May Gannon, Co Kildare; Ms Kathryn Sinnott, Co Cork; Ms Netta Daly, Co Cork; and Ms Grace O'Leary, Co Sligo.
They were recognised not only for their devotion to their children but also for their work to improve services for all people of special needs.
