The news of Ciara Mageean's passing was announced over the weekend and tributes have been pouring in for the Irish gold medalist.
After revealing her stage four bowel cancer diagnosis in July 2025, Ciara Mageean sadly died surrounded by her friends and family on November 1.
Since the news of her passing was shared, tributes have been pouring in for the Irish athletics star.
Mageean represented Ireland at the Rio 2016 Olympics and also at the Tokyo 2020 Games in the 1500m event.
She also made history by winning the European 1500m gold medal in Rome 2024.
The news of her passing was shared on her social media accounts, which reads: "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."
Speaking on her life and legacy on The Claire Byrne Show, Gavin Noble, Olympian and Chef de Mission for Team Ireland at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and friend of Ciara's shared how she had a "natural ability" to connect with people.
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He said: "She had this incredible, and I would say natural ability, to connect with people.
"She would greet you first with a smile, whether she met you a thousand times or even just once. I think people took joy from her winning and doing well.
"All of her success was shared. It was never her own. And we always sort of knew when the fight was fair, she would always come back and she would always prevail.
"We were all so proud. She always spoke so proudly and warmly about how proud she was to wear the Irish vest.
"When she did speak, when she did compete and no matter the result, she made us all very much proud to be Irish."
Claire Byrne was also joined by Ciara's friend and sometimes strength and conditioning coach, Martina McCarthy, who echoed Martin Noble's comments.
Ciara Mageean celebrating with the Irish flag after the Women's 1500m Final at the European Athletics Championship 2022. Pic: Mark Easton / Alamy Stock PhotoShe shared: "Ciara has just this unique ability to like summon like a force from within or this energy or belief and love and heart.
"But I think it's because she just comes to everything with an open heart. When people say, 'Try your best', she just brings that to everything.
"She allows this rawness and vulnerability to be so that she is like, she's truly someone that knew herself in all her iterations."
Martina also highlighted how passionate Ciara was about mentoring the next generation of Irish athletes and made an effort to "make them feel comfortable" and welcome.
Even in the last few weeks, she was asking Martina if she should reach out to some of the athletes competing in the European Championships as she wanted to help.
"She would actively go and seek out to support," she continued. "And she's always, always been like that, despite the fact that athletics is such a singular individual support.
Ciara Mageean with her 1500m European Athletics Championship gold medal. Pic: Michael Kappeler/dpa/Alamy Live News"She never forgot that it was, she felt part of a wider team and she wanted to create something greater than just the individuality of that sport."
David Gillick, Irish international track and field athlete, launched Ciara Mageean's book with her just over the summer, and highlighted how tough her passing is on her family.
Mr Gillick said: "It's tough for her family. It's tough for [her husband] Thomas. I think, everything that was mentioned there by Gavin and Martina, we get an insight into the person Ciara was.
"And, even with the book, I've got to admit, I was extremely nervous launching the book with her because of everything she was going through.
"It was the first night [of the launch] and her family, friends and all the well wishes were there and everybody knew what she was going through. But she was just remarkable on that night in particular.
"We're talking about her boundless energy, the smile on her face. She was there and she was there [as] 100% Ciara. The Ciara that we love."
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Ciara Mageean had stopped by Newstalk to talk about her book with Claire Byrne and shared how once she suffered the injury that ruled her out of the Paris Olympics, she barely had time to come to terms with that before the next blow was dealt.
She shared: " I literally left [Paris] and launched myself straight into ankle surgery and the rehab and really focused on being there.
"And then I get dealt the worst news of my life, that I have cancer. And then I find out it's stage four.
"You know, for anybody's life, that is absolutely crushing moment. But sprinkled in throughout that, that was the end of my athletics career. I didn't really get to process that completely.
"And I was told that more than likely, I won't be able to have a family. That news alone is tough for anybody, but it's just a small aspect of this big picture because I'm suddenly faced with my own mortality.
"And I suppose the book gave me an opportunity to actually come to terms with some of those things."
Main image: Ireland’s Ciara Mageean celebrates Women's 1500M Final at the 2022 European Championships Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
