The chief executive of the Special Olympics 2003, Ms Mary Davis, has received the Irish Person of the Year Award.
Ms Davis was presented with the award by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, for what the adjudicators described as her "hard work, energy and vision in making the Special Olympics one of the great events of 2003, not just in Europe, but across the world".
Eight people were honoured at the ESB/Rehab People of the Year Awards presented on Saturday night by TV host Mary Kennedy.
The Young Irish Person of the Year was awarded jointly to seven-year-old Ciara MacMahon from Limerick, and posthumously to Niamh ní Dhoibhilín (15) from Dublin who died last month, just days after she heard she was to receive the award.
The citation was for "her inspirational qualities in the face of years of serious illness".
Ciara's award was for her "immense bravery in saving the lives of her three younger brothers by enduring the trauma of three separate operations to donate bone marrow to them".
The International Person of the Year award was presented to Dr Mike Meegan for "the compassion he has shown for impoverished people in East Africa and in particular for his work in helping many people suffering from AIDS".
People of the year awards also went to the captain of the Tyrone team, Peter Canavan, who led the county to its first All-Ireland victory and "for his contribution to football in the county over many years".
Racehorse trainer Dermot Weld was awarded for his achievements "not least the extraordinary feat of twice capturing the Melbourne Cup".
A posthumous award went to Ita Bourke "for her tireless work in establishing a full-time care centre for Irish cancer patients while also fighting her own brave battle with breast cancer".
Businessman Niall Mellon received an award for his "work on behalf of poverty-stricken township dwellers in South Africa".