Ciara Mageean, the European 1500m champion who was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, has been laid to rest in her hometown of Portaferry, Co Down. The former Olympian, who passed away on Sunday aged 34, was remembered at her funeral for her determination to give wedding guests an unforgettable day as she married the love of her life just weeks before her death.
Final Farewell in Portaferry
On Tuesday, hundreds of mourners joined the funeral cortege as Mageean's coffin was carried into the grounds of St Patrick's Church. Rows of young players from Portaferry Gaelic Athletic Club, where Mageean played camogie as a youngster, lined the route alongside her husband and family members. The players formed a guard of honour as the coffin was carried inside the church ahead of the requiem mass.
Mageean, who represented Ireland at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, claimed European gold in Rome in 2024, becoming only the second athlete after Sonia O'Sullivan to secure an individual European title for Ireland. In 2025, she revealed she had been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, with a likely terminal prognosis.
Wedding and Homily
Mageean wed her long-term partner, Tommy Moran, last month. The couple held a ceremony at Belfast City Hall before hosting a grander celebration at Darver Castle in Co Louth, just a week before her death.
The homily was delivered by Fr Martin Kelly, who served as parish priest at St Patrick's from 2000 to 2009 and had known Mageean since she was eight years old. Speaking directly to Mr Moran, he said: "You were the love of her life."
Recalling the couple's festivities, the priest continued: "There were two events for her wedding and she looked radiant at both of them, at the centre of each event, and I saw her dancing and singing, so full of joy and so happy to be able to celebrate her big day with Tommy. She was determined to give everybody a day to remember. After the second celebration she retired to her hospice bed and that was it, she sank lower and lower, but she held out until last Sunday just passed, the Feast of All Saints. What an appropriate day. She was surrounded by her family as she passed on peacefully."
Cherished Memories
Fr Kelly revealed two particular moments from Mageean's athletics journey remained etched in his mind. "The first was when she returned home to Portaferry after winning a world silver medal at the world under-18s meeting in Canada," he explained. "When she arrived on the ferry from Strangford there was a wide circle of Portaferry people to welcome her. She stepped off the ferry on to the slipway like a young sea goddess from the lough, wrapped in the tricolour, with a smile to warm all hearts."
"My second standout moment was when in Rome at the final of the European Championships in 2024. On the home straight she was third behind two runners who had boxed her in. She said to herself 'you're not going to box in a Portaferry camogie player that easily'. So she waited and she waited until an opening came and she cut through like a knife through butter, hitting the line with her arms in the air, getting gold and becoming European champion."
Fr Kelly also recounted a visit to Mageean in her hospice room during the weeks prior to her passing, where they discussed the 'final big challenge' of death while administering the sacrament of the sick. The priest recalled that Mageean then proposed they take a walk, leading to a moment he described as one of his happiest memories: "Linking arms wasn't me. Then I gave in. One of my happiest moments and memories is that of Ciara Mageean linking my arm as we walked back to her room, just a few weeks before she went to heaven."
Tributes and Attendance
As the homily drew to a close, Fr Kelly referenced a Facebook tribute written by somebody who had never met Mageean personally but characterised her as 'a truly remarkable, immensely talented and inspirational human being whose courage, humility, infectious smile and indomitable spirit touched hearts far beyond the world of athletics.' The priest cited the conclusion of the online tribute: "The brightest lights never truly fade. Their warmth lives on in the hearts of those they touched."
Stormont First Minister Michelle O'Neill, SDLP leader Claire Hanna, Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) president Jarlath Burns and Irish Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Rhys McClenaghan were amongst those in attendance. Aides of President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin also attended the funeral. Following the ceremony, Portaferry GAC players once more formed a guard of honour as Mageean's remains were carried out of the church and onward for burial in an adjoining cemetery. Mageean is survived by her parents Christopher and Catherine, sisters Máire and Nuala, and brother Brendan.
