Ciara Mageean: A sporting life in pictures

The two-time Olympian and European champion has died at the age of 34.

IRISH SPORT AND society is in mourning following the death of Ciara Mageean.

The two-time Olympian and European champion died on Sunday at the age of 34, having been diagnosed with bowel cancer last year.

Here is Mageean’s sporting life in pictures.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

Early days: In action at the 2008 and 2009 European Cross Country Championships

ciara-mageean Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Helping hand: Coming to the aid of teammate Emma Mitchell after the women’s junior race at the 2010 European Cross Country Championships

ciara-mageean-helps-teammate-emma-mitchell-after-the-womens-junior-race Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Celebrating 1500m silver after the 2011 European Junior Athletics Championships

ciara-mageean-with-her-silver-medal Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-is-greeted-by-liam-hennessey Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

2011 National Track & Field Championships: Mageean had to settle for 800m silver as she fell at the line, but won 1500m gold

ciara-mageean-falls-at-the-line-as-siobhan-eviston-wins Paul Railton / INPHO Paul Railton / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-is-congratulated-by-fionnualla-britton Paul Railton / INPHO Paul Railton / INPHO / INPHO

Pictured with Ellis O’Reilly (gymnast), Katie Taylor (boxer) and Chloe Magee (badminton player) at the Irish team kit launch for Rio 2016

ellis-oreilly-ciara-mageean-katie-taylor-and-chloe-magee James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Major medal alert: Tuning up for Rio with 1500m bronze at the 2016 European Athletics Championships

ciara-mageean-on-her-way-to-winning-a-bronze-medal Karel Delvoije / INPHO Karel Delvoije / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-celebrates-winning-a-bronze-medal Karel Delvoije / INPHO Karel Delvoije / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-celebrates-with-her-bronze-medal Karel Delvoije / INPHO Karel Delvoije / INPHO / INPHO

Olympic debut at Rio 2016. Mageean finished second in her 1500m heat, but didn’t progress from the semi-finals

ciara-mageean-on-her-way-to-finishing-second-and-qualifying-for-a-semi-final Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-narrowly-avoids-a-stumble-on-her-way-to-finishing-second-and-qualifying-for-a-semi-final Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-dejected-after-failing-to-qualify Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-dejected-after-failing-to-qualify Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

In the pain cave at the 2016 European Cross Country Championships

ciara-mageean Sasa Pahic Szabo / INPHO Sasa Pahic Szabo / INPHO / INPHO

Highs and lows at the 2017 European Indoor Championships

ciara-mageean-is-interviewed-by-david-gillick Sasa Pahic Szabo / INPHO Sasa Pahic Szabo / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean Sasa Pahic Szabo / INPHO Sasa Pahic Szabo / INPHO / INPHO

Disappointment after a 13th place finish at the 2017 World Outdoor Championships

ciara-mageean-on-her-way-to-finishing-thirteenth Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

caster-semenya-celebrates-as-ciara-mageean-crosses-the-line Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-dejected-after-finishing-thirteenth Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Having fun along the way: With Ella O’Sullivan (aged 6 from Malahide) at Ireland’s first Family SportFest in 2017

ciara-mageean-and-ella-osullivan Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

All smiles after finishing second in her 1500m heat at the 2018 European Championships, before an agonising fourth-place finish in the final

ciara-mageean-celebrates-finishing-second Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-dejected-after-finishing-fourth Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Celebrating breaking the Irish indoor 1500m record at the AIT International Athletics Grand Prix – one of many records across her career

ciara-mageean-celebrates-breaking-the-irish-indoor-record James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Bronze Age: Medal delight at the 2019 European Indoor Championships

ciara-mageean-celebrates-winning-a-bronze-medal Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-celebrates-with-her-bronze-medal Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-and-mark-english-with-their-bronze-medals Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Highs and lows: In action at the 2019 World Championships

ciara-mageean-running-in-the-womens-1500m-final Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-after-running-in-the-womens-1500m-final Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Two greats: With Sonia O’Sullivan at the 2019 Irish Athletics Awards

ciara-mageean-with-sonia-osullivan Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Team success at the 2019 European Cross Country Championships

ciara-mageean-fionnuala-ross-una-britton-fionnuala-mccormack-mary-mulhare-celebrate-winning-a-silver-team-medal Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

aoibhe-richardson-una-britton-fionnuala-mccormack-mary-mulhare-fionnuala-ross-and-ciara-mageean Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Meeting fans at the 2020 Athlone International Athletics Grand Prix – after recovering from a draining run

ciara-mageean Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Olympics number two: Tokyo 2020

ciara-mageean-on-her-way-to-finishishing-10th James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-dejected Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

Silver lining: 1500m silver at the 2022 European Championships

ciara-mageean-chases-eventual-gold-medal-winner-laura-muir Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-celebrates-after-finishing-2nd Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-celebrates-with-her-silver-medal Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Accepting the Spirit of Camogie Award at the 2022 All-Stars

ciara-mageean-is-presented-withthe-spirit-of-camoige-award-by-hilda-breslin Ryan Bryne / INPHO Ryan Bryne / INPHO / INPHO

Ups and downs at the 2023 World Championships in Doha

86389_2315357 Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

GOLD! Winning 1500m gold at the 2024 European Championships

ciara-mageean-celebrates-winning Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-celebrates-with-her-gold-medal Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-with-her-gold-medal Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ciara-mageean-celebrates-with-her-gold-medal Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

That golden moment – which completed the set of European medals – was ultimately Mageean’s last major race for Ireland after an Achilles injury ruled her out of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The Portaferry athlete announced her cancer diagnosis in June 2025.

Athletics Ireland celebrated Mageean at the national championships in Santry in July, with a ‘Run with Ciara’ event. Mageean typically comforted a young athlete who fell during it, and enjoyed the day with her family and friends.

ciara-mageean Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO