Irish rallying legend Rosemary Smith has died at the age of 86.

A true pioneer, Rosie leaves a rich legacy as one the world’s leading rally drivers of her time. Her list of achievements, from winning the Dutch Tulip rally in 1965, to becoming the first lady to win the Cork 20 Rally in 1969, was just the start of an impressive career over the decades.

Rosemary added outright wins in the Scottish Rally, the Alpine Rally, the Canadian Shell 4000, the London to Melbourne Rally in 1968 and the Mexico World Cup Rally.

She drove for a number of manufacturers including: Ford, Porsche, British Leyland, Opel, Lancia and Chrysler. She set a land speed record in Cork in 1978, was inducted into the Federation International des Vehicules Anciens (FIVA) Hall of Fame in 2022.

In 2017 she became the oldest person, at 79, to test drive a 800bhp Formula1 Renault at the Paul Ricard racetrack in France.

Rosemary Smith published her memoirs ‘Driven by Rosemary Smith' in 2018.