05/12/2023
Jimmy McRae presents Rosemary with a special award at Déja vu Ireland West in 2022.
Photo Michael Chester.
ROSEMARY
I was deeply saddened to learn that Rosemary Smith left us this afternoon after a long and enormously courageous struggle with cancer.
This legendry Irish woman slotted into the short list of female drivers from all over the world who have gained truly international motorsporting succes.
‘Rosie’ didn’t just make up the numbers in rallying, racing and on marathon events, she was right at the front of the action. And in amongst her long list of achievements, outright wins on the International Tulip Rally in 1958 and the Cork 20 Rally in 1969; participation on the London Sydney Rally in 1968 and the World Cup London to Mexico Rally in 1970; is her unique run in a modern day Formula One Renault in 2017 at the Paul Richard Grand Prix Circuit.
Rosemary, in France that day, at the age of seventy-nine, became the oldest woman to ever drive an F1 car.
Her motoring friends have been extremely good to her in her latter-years by helping her to keep her characteristic fighting spirit alive against all the odds.
They were so good to her and ‘Rosie’ was good to Déjà vu Motorsport driving Andy Hennessey’s Sunbeam Tiger on Déjà vu Circuit and Déjà vu Killarney, the Titanic Déjà, Déja vu Donegal, and very courageously on Déjà vu Ireland West in 2022.
I have admired Rosemary as a competitor from the moment I saw her leap high into the sky on the Dunboyne bridge in a works Sunbeam Alpine and it has been a privilege to know her as a friend.
Rosemary will be fondly remembered as one of the pioneering sports persons in the annals of Irish motoring history.
RIP Rosemary.
