Resilient Ciara Mageean was an incredible champion in life

Ciara Mageean with her gold medal after winning the Women’s 1500m race at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome. Picture: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

“It's a lesson in life. Not everything can be perfect. It’s about how resilient you are.”

Those were the words of Ciara Mageean after winning gold in the 1500m at the 2024 European championships, cementing her place as one of Ireland’s finest athletes. Today her family announced the tragic news that the Portaferry woman had died aged just 34 after a battle with cancer.

In the above quote she was describing the race where she had been boxed in but, as she put it herself: “I didn’t grow up playing camogie to get boxed in.”

The race win immediately upped speculation as to how far she could go in the Olympics, but just a few months later, she had to call on all of her resilience when she got the devastating news she had cancer.

Since then, she reached a new and even bigger audience with how bravely she battled and spoke about the disease.

Earlier this year, she excelled in the gruelling challenges set by former special operations officer Ray Goggins on his RTÉ programme Uncharted. During the programme, she spoke movingly about what she was going through and afterwards the former soldier described her, not just as a champion in sport, but also an “incredible champion in life”.

She also wrote a bestselling book titled My Greatest Race.

Just last bank holiday weekend, Ciara and her new husband Thomas Moran celebrated a second wedding at Darver Castle in Dundalk and alongside pictures from the day on Instagram, she wrote: “I hope you didn’t think we were skipping the party.”

However, barely a week later, confirmation came from her family this morning that she had died.

They wrote: “At 6:30am this morning, Ciara lost her battle with cancer surrounded by her loved ones.

“A beloved daughter, sister, wife, friend and inspiration to so many, she will be deeply missed.

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.”

Her passing has plunged the world of Irish sport and well beyond into mourning with athletes she competed against and alongside sharing their grief.

A minute's silence was observed in honour of Ciara Mageean before the Cuala vs Tullamore AIB GAA Leinster Club Senior Football Championship Round 1 match at Parnell Park, Dublin today. Picture: Ben Brady

Fellow Olympian Sharlene Mawdsley wrote: "Rest in peace Ciara, sending love to your family and friends." while fellow former runner Thomas Barr said: "This is such devastating news. You were the purest human and brightest soul among us."

British Athletics described Ciara Mageean as a "true inspiration on and off the track" adding: "Everyone at British Athletics sends their thoughts to Ciara’s family, friends, and coaches and all our friends at Athletics Ireland. Rest In Peace Ciara."

• Shamim de Brún, Digital Journalist
• Tony Leen, Sports Editor