Former European 1500m champion and two-time Olympian, Ciara Mageean, has died at the age of 34 after battling stage four bowel cancer, Athletics Ireland has confirmed.
The Irish athlete, who hailed from Portaferry in Northern Ireland, was diagnosed with the disease in May 2025.
She represented Ireland at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but missed the 2024 Paris Olympics due to an Achilles injury.
Mageean achieved the biggest milestone of her career in June 2024 when she won the women’s 1500m gold medal at the European Athletics Championships in Rome.
She had earlier secured silver in the same event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham while representing Northern Ireland.
A statement shared on her social media account on Sunday announced her death, saying, “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 (may her soul be at the right hand of God).”
Athletics Ireland also expressed grief over her passing in a statement on social media, saying, “We are heartbroken. An inspiration to so many, Ciara will be remembered for her courage, kindness and incredible spirit.
“Our deepest sympathies are with her family, friends and loved ones at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Ciara.”
Mageean, who married her long-term partner, Thomas Moran, in a small civil ceremony in Belfast in October, began her sporting journey through camogie before pursuing athletics to fulfil her Olympic dream.
She enjoyed an impressive junior career, winning silver medals in the 1500m at the 2010 World Junior Championships and the 2011 European Junior Championships.
She also reached the final of the event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games at the age of 18.
Her early senior career was disrupted by a serious ankle injury, which ruled her out of the London 2012 Olympics.
However, she returned from surgery in 2013 and won the Irish 1500m national title in July 2014.
Mageean later claimed bronze in the 1500m at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam before making her Olympic debut in Rio, where she exited the competition at the semi-final stage.
She also competed at the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but was eliminated in the heats after a calf injury affected her preparation.
In 2022, she won silver medals at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games behind Britain’s Laura Muir.
She subsequently defeated Muir and other elite athletes to win the Diamond League 1500m race in Brussels, clocking 3:56.63 to set a new Irish record and become the first Irish woman to run the distance under four minutes.
She narrowly missed a World Championships medal in 2023 after finishing fourth in the 1500m final in Budapest.
Her achievements that year also earned her the BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year award.
Mageean’s career reached its peak at the 2024 European Championships in Rome, where she overcame a challenging final to claim gold in 4:04.66.
She navigated through a gap between Britain’s Georgia Bell and Jemma Reekie before powering to victory.
Following the triumph, the emotional athlete said “words can’t even come close” to expressing her feelings after securing the first major title of her career.
Earlier in 2026, Mageean spoke about finding happiness in everyday moments while expressing gratitude for the support she received after her cancer diagnosis.
In an interview with the BBC in June, she said she was “grateful” for having a career “that many others didn’t get to have”.
