The sister of U.S. president John F Kennedy is to be honored by the Irish government through a special Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day at the end of September.

The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen will host the first ever day at the state residence at Framleigh, in Dublin’s Phoenix Park to celebrate the life and work of the founder of the Special Olympics.

The celebration will be an annual event scheduled to take place the fourth Saturday of September. 

This years event, which will take place on Saturday, September 25, will be attended by her son, Mark Kennedy Shriver, a former member of Maryland House of Delegates in the U.S., as well as by Irish athletes who participated in the Special Olympics European Games in Poland from September 18 to 24.

Mary Davis, Special Olympics Europe/ Eurasia chief executive has congratulated the government in creating the celebration for Kennedy Shriver.

‘‘It’s great that the Irish government has decided to dedicate the day every year. It’s better that it’s a Saturday, because parents are free to do activities with their children," said Davis.

‘‘It also happens that Eunice was pregnant with Mark when she was in New Ross with John F Kennedy.”

The celebrations will include a law enforcement torch run from the Garda’s Phoenix Park headquarters to Farmleigh involving the Garda Siochána (Republic of Ireland police) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

During his trip, Mark Kennedy Shriver will also visit New Ross, the location of the Kennedy ancestral home.