The death occurred last week of Irish motorsport pioneer Rosemary Smith, aged 86. Smith had an incredible career in motorsport in the 1950s and ‘60s, with a crowning triumph being her outright victory in the Dutch Tulip Rally of 1965, the equivalent of a World Rally Championship round today. She competed in eight Monte Carlo rallies and finished some of the most arduous long-distance events, the London to Sydney rally in 1968 and the 1970 London to Mexico rally. Willing and capable of competing successfully in all manner of motorsport events, from the 12 Hours of Sebring to Goodwood Revival, the Dubliner Smith topped out her career behind the wheel in 2017 when at 79 she became the oldest person to drive a current specification Formula One car, as she successfully tested the Renault Sport F1 car at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France.
On a trip to this side of the Atlantic, Smith appeared on a February 1966 episode of the game show "What's My Line?" (Her appearance begins just before the 15-minute mark.)
DONEGAL FIRST
FOR COUGHLAN
Former Tánaiste Mary Coughlan was elected chairperson of Donegal GAA when the County Board meet in Ballybofey on Wednesday evening. The St Naul’s clubwoman succeeds Fergus McGee and is the first female chairperson of the Donegal county board. A political activist from age 16, she was coopted to Donegal County Council at age 20, following the sudden death of her father Cathal Coughlan in 1986. He had been elected to the Dáil after his brother, former county footballer Clem Coughlan TD, was killed in a car crash in 1983. At age 21, Mary Coughlan was elected to the Dáil in the 1987 General Election. She was deputy party leader of Fianna Fáil and deputy leader of the government or tánaiste from 2008 to 2011. She lost her seat in the latter year.
O’CONNOR BACK
WITH LIMERICK
Limerick hurling manager John Kiely has made two new additions to his backroom team ahead of the 2024 season. Former Strength and Conditioning coach Joe O’Connor returns to the backroom team, this time as its high-performance manager. O’Connor was involved with the Treaty men in 2018 when they ended their 45-year famine for the Liam MacCarthy Cup and also helped Clare to All-Ireland glory in 2013. Having worked under Kiely in 2015 when Limerick captured the All-Ireland under 21 title, John Flavin is set to link up with the manager again next season as a coach. The Monagea clubman joins an already high-profile coaching team which includes: Paul Kinnerk, Donal O’Grady, Aonghus O’Brien and Alan Cunningham, as Limerick attempt to become the first hurling team to win five senior hurling finals in-a-row.
O’MEARA IS
APPLE’S BOSS
All 32 counties have now confirmed their senior inter-county managers for 2024. Also last week New York GAA confirmed that former Cavan goalkeeper Alan O’Meara is replacing Johnny McGeeney as their senior football manager. O’Mara’s selectors will be fellow Westmeath New York clubman Jeffrey Farrell, David McNamara and Dean O’Donnell. Completing O’Meara’s backroom team are football coach Ronan McGinley, player development coach Mick Cunningham, S&C coach Sean Kelly and physio Sinead Burns. Meanwhile London has named Neil Rogers as their new senior hurling manager. The Birr native succeeds Kevin McMullan in the role.
LIONS FOR AVIVA
The British and Irish Lions will play Argentina in Dublin in preparation for their 2025 tour to Australia in what will be their first-ever match in Ireland. The game will be played at the Aviva Stadium on June 20, 2025, and the two teams will play for the Lions 1888 Cup, which marks the first year a Lions team toured the southern hemisphere. Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said: “The opportunity to play in Dublin at the Aviva Stadium in front of over 50,000 Lions fans will make for a great occasion and the perfect send-off. British and Irish Lions Tours have a rich heritage built over 130 years of touring but alongside our strong history, which we are very proud of, it is important that we look for ways in which to evolve our Tours.’’ It’s expected that current Irish national coach Andy Farrell will be appointed coach Lions for their 2025 Tour. On the Tour The Lions will play three Tests against Australia as well as taking on five Super Rugby franchises and an invitational team made up of players from Australia and New Zealand.
