Former President Mary Robinson paid a fitting tribute to the late Marian Finucane on live radio calling her a "brave and honest trailblazer".
The Irish public were left in shock when it was announced that the 69-year-old had died suddenly in her Kildare home on Thursday.
Speaking to RTE's Morning Ireland, Ms Robinson said that the late broadcaster was not afraid to discuss issues that touched a nerve with the public.
She said: "She just went on a blazing trail with that honesty, with that integrity, with that fearlessness at times. She wasn't afraid of the Church or the State.
"She's remembered rightly for work on women's issues, but she went far beyond that to broader issues.
"Women Today was a very significant move. To allow women to present and to be producers and presenters on a radio programme, that was new to RTE as I understand it.
Ms Robinson added: "She had an empathy and this conversational tone, but her questions were very perceptive, very acute, at times very fearless, but very honest. I think that's why people trusted her so much."
Marian is survived by her husband John and son Jack.
She was predeceased by her eight year-old daughter Sinead, who died from leukaemia in 1990.
