Ciara Mageean: Portaferry family 'over moon' with first gold medal (2024)

Portaferry's Ciara Mageean clinched her first major title at the age of 32 as she won 1500m gold for Ireland at the European Championships in Rome.

Mageean, who won bronze and silver medals at previous European Championships, held her nerve in a tactical battle to find a small gap between Great Britain duo Georgia Bell and Jemma Reekie with 90 metres left.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, Ciara's mother, Catherine, said she was "over the moon" with the win.

"We usually go to the European events, we are all heading to Paris for a longer time, but we opted out of this one. A part of me regrets that now," she said.

"We were rather nervous at home, pacing up and down the room, my husband, he was doing gymnastics, jumping up and down then he runs outside, 'yes, yes, yes', down the street."

The County Down woman's triumph continued Irish success at the championships after Friday's 4x400m mixed relay victory, which was the country's first European gold since 1998.

Mageean, who narrowly missed out on a 1500m medal when finishing fourth at last year's World Championships, crossed the line in four minutes 4.66 seconds - 0.67 seconds clear of Great Britain's Bell.

"Words can't even come close," Mageean told RTE Sport after being asked what victory meant to her.

"Everybody back home knows how long I have been doing this, how hard I have been trying. I've had so many times when I've come off races and not felt the way I am today."

Catherine said: "When you watch it back you can actually see when the gap opens, she breathes out and take a great big breath in and just goes for it. I just knew, there was a smile on her face, it was like the 100-yard dash right down the middle."

Mageean's father, Chris, told BBC News NI that when she turned the final corner and he saw "a wee smile come onto her face", he said to himself "'there’s maybe something going to happen here'".

"When she came between the two British girls, I said, 'yes, she has the finish, it’s in her legs' and she saw it out. She took it home for Ireland."

Mageean added: "When I was getting a bit boxed in there, I thought 'my god... I have all the legs left but nowhere to go'. I didn't grow up playing camogie to get boxed in though."

Noting Ciara's experience, Catherine explained that there is now a "quiet confidence" when she competes in championship competitions.

"In the past she would be quite nervous at major events but from two years ago, from the 2022 European Championship and the Commonwealth Games, that year seemed to cement an inner confidence that 'yeah I can do this, I can be here'.

"That shone through last night, she wasn’t fazed."

Across the Strangford Lough in Ciara’s coastal hometown of Portaferry, locals are buzzing at the news of her latest win.

James Murray runs the local newsagents Blaneys and is delighted for the town’s champion.

“Ciara Mageean is the best thing to ever hit Portaferry,” he told BBC News NI.

“Ciara is the nicest kid, her family are amazing people, down to earth and it couldn’t happen to a better person or family because not only has she done brilliant last night, she’s going to do very well in the Olympics.”

And the locals can’t wait to welcome Mageean back.

“Everyone in the town is buzzing because of Ciara,” James added.

“Everybody’s delighted for her, delighted for the Mageean family and the whole town.”

A stone’s throw away from the town’s ferry dock at the Portaferry Hotel, reception staff are eager to share the good news from Rome with guests checking in.

“It’s fantastic,” Siobhan McGrattan said.

“We sat up and watched it. I actually let our children stay up late to watch it last night.”

Mageean’s latest win will also inspire other athletes in the town, Siobhan added.

“She’s a great ambassador for young girls here in the town and she goes into all the primary schools and she takes the medals in. It’s just wonderful.

“I think it’s going to put us on the map, I think people are going to remember Ciara from Portaferry.”

Mageean is making an immediate return to training, in Saint Moritz, following the medal ceremony.

Speaking at Portaferry GAC, where Mageean played, Chris said that if she can get to the Olympic final in Paris this summer "you never know" what could happen.

"Once you get Ciara in a final, it's up for grabs," he said.

He added that if her success can inspire others "to put on the green jersey" and represent Ireland, "that's all you're looking for".

Paul Gilchrist, principal of Mageean's former primary school, St Mary’s in Portaferry said there has been "a lot of excitement and buzz about the school" following her victory.

"When I came in this morning, lots of children were chatting away," he said.

"I’m sure you could hear the cheer right across the whole of Portaferry yesterday."

Although from Portaferry, Mageean went to Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch.

Helen McCambridge, head of PE at the school, said she noticed Mageean was "very special" when she competed in the district cross country competition in Year 10.

"That day she was absolutely fantastic. That would have been on pure natural ability – it wasn’t my doing, it wasn’t that I had trained her."

She said the school community is "delighted" after Mageean's success.

“She didn’t start out as an athlete – she was a camogie player and we didn’t know where that would go, but she’s coachable," she added.

"She has had this great success that everybody can see and that will inspire lots and lots of, not only runners, but people in other sports."