{"id":672022,"date":"2026-11-01T19:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T19:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/672022\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T19:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T19:36:12","slug":"president-catherine-connolly-leads-tributes-to-irish-olympian-ciara-mageean-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/672022\/","title":{"rendered":"President Catherine Connolly leads tributes to Irish Olympian Ciara Mageean \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Catherine Connolly has led the tributes to Irish Olympian Ciara Mageean<\/a> who died on Sunday aged 34.<\/p>\n

A statement on Mageean\u2019s social media on Sunday morning confirmed she \u201clost her battle with cancer surrounded by her loved ones\u201d.<\/p>\n

President Connolly said Mageean was \u201ca wonderful athlete, a runner who distinguished herself from her junior years right up to the outstanding achievement of becoming a European champion two years ago\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout that remarkable career, Ciara stood out not just for her exceptional talent, but for her strength and perseverance, for her clear speaking, and for her determination to succeed,\u201d Connolly said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was these qualities that led the public to appreciate her so much, and to be so thrilled for her achievement in Rome.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince Ciara shared the news of her illness, the public have stood with her, and their affection for her has only grown. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe showed the same qualities that marked her running career, and has been a source of inspiration to so many people in their own struggles.\u201d<\/p>\n

During this time, Mageean also showed \u201ccare for others\u201d in her advocacy for \u201cthose suffering in Gaza and other conflicts, ensuring attention for those most in need\u201d. <\/p>\n

Connolly added she was \u201cmuch loved and will be greatly missed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> said he was \u201cdeeply saddened at the untimely passing of Ciara Mageean\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heartfelt sympathies go to her husband Thomas, all her family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement on social media, T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris<\/a> praised Mageean\u2019s \u201ccourage and honesty\u201d in speaking about her cancer diagnosis. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0 Athletics Ciara Mageean in her own words: \u2018I was told she didn\u2019t want to coach me any more\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cHeartbreaking news this morning to hear of the passing of Ciara Mageean. She was a European champion, two-time Olympian, a proud Irish athlete and an extraordinary person,\u201d Harris wrote. <\/p>\n

\u201cCiara was an inspiration to us all on the track, but the courage and honesty with which she spoke about her cancer diagnosis touched so many people. She gave so many others strength and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ireland’sIreland\u2019s Ciara Mageean celebrates her gold medal with Irish fans. Photograph: Morgan Treacy\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue said Mageean was \u201ca woman whose searing honesty both trackside after races and over the past couple of years in dealing with her illness secured her a place in the hearts of people all over the island\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cCiara exemplified all that is good about sport and community in Ireland,\u201d he said. \u201cEven as she won races around the globe she remained incredibly connected to her own people in Portaferry.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer joy in winning 1500 metres gold at the 2024 European Championships was shared by all who follow sport and her bravery in dealing with the cruel illness that followed was admired by everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has been a role model for the next generation of Irish athletics and, as long as races are run on this island, her memory will not be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside a clip of an interview with Mageean on The Late Late Show, host Patrick Kielty wrote: \u201cNothing made Ciara prouder than pulling on her Ireland vest.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut as a proud Portaferry woman, she wasn\u2019t just a champion on the track. She was a champion of others who showed us all how to live. A privilege to have had her on The Late Late Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Ciara Mageean remained relatable, unaffected and authentic across her extraordinary careerOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald wrote in a statement: \u201cAbsolutely heartbreaking news about Ciara Mageean.<\/p>\n

\u201cA proud daughter of Portaferry, a European champion and an inspiration to so many across Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDonald also praised Mageean for her \u201ccourage, strength and grace\u201d following her cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cCiara brought us such joy and pride through her incredible achievements on the track, and showed extraordinary courage, strength and grace in the face of her illness. Taken far too soon, with so much more life to live.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy deepest sympathies to Ciara\u2019s husband Thomas, her family, friends and everyone who loved her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIreland has lost a truly remarkable young woman. Ar dheis D\u00e9 go raibh a hanam d\u00edlis.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0In Pictures: the life and career of Ciara MageeanOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill recalled Mageean\u2019s \u201ctremendous strength of character\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cFrom representing Ireland at two Olympic Games to winning European Championship gold in Rome in 2024, Ciara demonstrated extraordinary talent, determination and dedication,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, beyond the medals, records and sporting accolades, Ciara will be remembered for her warmth, courage and tremendous strength of character.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout her illness, she showed a remarkable spirit and an incredible ability to find hope and joy in life, even in the most difficult circumstances. Her courage touched countless people and will leave a lasting legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Ciara Mageean: \u2018I probably won\u2019t make my 40th birthday. That\u2019s rough\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Photographer John Gillooley, who worked at Mageean\u2019s wedding, posted a tribute on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only got to know Ciara for such a short time but felt such a connection. I\u2019m sure most of the photos shared today will be of her unbelievable sporting achievements and rightfully so,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I just knew her as a bride who was going to celebrate her wedding to the man she loved more than anyone, and to throw a big party for her best friends and family, and nothing was going to stop her.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President Catherine Connolly has led the tributes to Irish Olympian Ciara Mageean who died on Sunday aged 34.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":672023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[14937,21753,163615,61,60,23061,3658,1843,3659,43,41542,9034,70],"class_list":["post-672022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ciara-mageean","tag-down","tag-european-athletics-championships","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-late-late-show","tag-mary-lou-mcdonald","tag-micheal-martin","tag-michelle-o-neill","tag-news","tag-olympic-games","tag-patrick-kielty","tag-simon-harris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}