Image source, Getty Images
A connection posted connected Mageean's societal media connected Sunday said she died surrounded by her loved ones
ByBen Lonsdale
BBC News NI
Tributes person been paid to erstwhile European champion and two-time Olympic runner Ciara Mageean, who has died astatine the property of 34.
Mageean, from Portaferry successful County Down, was diagnosed with signifier 4 bowel crab successful May 2025.
She died connected Sunday morning, surrounded by her loved ones, a connection posted connected her societal media accounts said.
"A beloved daughter, sister, wife, person and inspiration to truthful many, she volition beryllium profoundly missed," it said.
Mageean's decease comes little than 3 weeks aft her matrimony to her semipermanent spouse Thomas Moran.
The jock represented Ireland astatine the 2016 and 2020 Olympics and won golden successful the 1500m astatine the European Athletics Championships successful Rome successful 2024.
She besides represented Northern Ireland astatine the Commonwealth Games, winning metallic successful Birmingham successful 2022.
Olympic fable Lady Mary Peters said Mageean was a "wonderful lady" who was "gracious, beautiful, talented and inspirational to the adjacent generation".
"We knew she was precise sick and we knew that it was inevitable but we didn't expect it truthful soon," said the 1972 Olympic pentathlon golden medallist.
Lady Mary's foundation the Mary Peters Trust, which supports Northern Ireland athletes, had helped Mageean successful her athletics career.
"My foundation supported her for arsenic agelong arsenic we could due to the fact that she was truthful talented and we recognised that successful her," said Last Mary.
She said that Mageean had continued to animate young athletes adjacent portion undergoing attraction for crab and would beryllium "sorely missed successful the satellite of sport".
Image source, EPA
Mageean won a golden medal astatine the 2024 European Championships successful Rome
Sean Young, the caput of Portaferry Gaelic Athletic Club, wherever Mageean played camogie successful her younger years, said its members were successful "disbelief and shock" astatine her death.
He said Mageean had been a "fierce competitor" who began her sporting travel astatine the nine earlier pursuing athletics.
"Outside the sporting arena she is the astir inspirational, humble idiosyncratic we person ever had wrong our club," helium said.
Down Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) said it was "honoured and privileged" to telephone Mageean 1 of its own, describing her arsenic idiosyncratic who ne'er forgot her roots.
"She touched the lives of truthful galore radical and she helped alteration the lives of truthful many," it said.
"In her conflict with unwellness she showed america courage, positivity and the worth of life."
Her erstwhile school, Assumption Grammar successful Ballynahinch, County Down, said it was "deeply saddened and heartbroken" by the decease of its "cherished past pupil".
"Ciara's kindness, strength, religion and unwavering determination were an inspiration to america all," it said.
"She touched countless lives with her warmth, humility and generosity of spirit."
'A champion successful each consciousness of the word'
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill described Mageean arsenic "a champion successful each consciousness of the connection and a relation exemplary for each athletes".
"She represented her state with pridefulness and helped enactment Irish athletics connected the map," said O'Neill.
She said Mageean had faced her crab diagnosis with the aforesaid "bravery and determination" she had shown passim her sporting career.
"Ciara's bequest volition unrecorded connected and she volition proceed to beryllium an inspiration to many."
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said radical crossed Northern Ireland had been "deeply arrogant and inspired" by the athlete.
She described Mageean arsenic an "outstanding jock and ambassador for her sport" who had spoken with honesty and bravery astir her wellness battles.
Mageean clinched her archetypal large rubric astatine the property of 32
Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said helium was "deeply saddened" by her untimely decease and extended his sympathies to her husband, household and friends.
Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris said Mageean had inspired radical some done her achievements connected the way and her openness astir her illness.
"She gave truthful galore others spot and hope," helium said.
'Self-belief and commitment'
World Athletics described her arsenic "an inspiration to many, connected and disconnected the track", highlighting her historical European golden medal successful Rome successful 2024.
Athletics Ireland, the country's governing assemblage for the sport, said Mageean was "much-loved and inspirational".
"Her courage, warmth and tone volition permission a lasting legacy," the organisation said.
Conal Heatley, the main enforcement of Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland, described Mageean arsenic "one of the champion of us".
He told BBC News NI she had carried herself with "incredible dignity" passim her unwellness and was a "fantastic fig for the land of Ireland".
The Camogie Association besides paid tribute to Mageean, with its president Brian Molloy describing her arsenic a large person of the sport, some arsenic a subordinate and a supporter.
"In her all-too-short life, Ciara touched the hearts of truthful many," helium said.
"Her self-belief and committedness to her trade volition ever beryllium inspirational and she volition beryllium fondly remembered by each who had the privilege of knowing her."
'A airy has gone retired successful the world'
Mageean was named the 2023 BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year aft an awesome year, successful which she broke nationalist records and was 4th successful a competitory World Championships final.
BBC Sport NI broadcaster Thomas Niblock, who interviewed Mageean successful July for The GAA Social podcast, described her arsenic a "one off".
Image source, Thomas Niblock
Thomas Niblock (left) recalled however Mageean had received disappointing quality the time earlier their interview
"A airy has gone retired successful the world. Authentic, talented, decent. Her kindness and fantastic property was a joyousness to ticker and see," helium wrote connected societal media.
Niblock recalled however Mageean had received disappointing quality the time earlier their interrogation but had insisted connected going up with the recording.
"It's 90 minutes Oisin and myself volition ever treasure. She was the champion of us," helium said.
He besides paid tribute to her hubby and the wider Portaferry community.
"I've ne'er met a idiosyncratic who met Ciara, who didn't emotion her," helium added.
Patrick Kielty, who said it was a "privilege" to interrogation Mageean connected Irish nationalist broadcaster RTÉ's The Late Late Show, said "she wasn't conscionable a champion connected the track".
"She was a champion of others who showed america each however to live."
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