Ciara Mageean's parents and Portaferry pals hail 'golden girl' and 'genuinely nice person'

Ciara Mageean has been hailed as a 'golden girl' by those who knew her best from Portaferry after her historic European Championship success. The Co Down runner, 32, clinched another gold for Ireland in Rome on a famous week for athletics in the country, this time in the 1,500m final.

Supporters from Mageean’s GAA club Portaferry beeped horns from their cars in celebration outside her family home after her gold medal glory. Her parents Catherine and Christopher claimed Mageean’s camogie background was key to her success.

Dad Christopher said: “She has that edge, she’s always had it. When she turned the corner, I could see Ciara sort of smiled a wee bit. I said to myself, ‘Here we go’. She took it on and she took gold. It’s what we’ve been looking for these past 15 years. She’s always wanted gold.”

Read more: Ciara Mageean credits GAA background after breaking through for historic European gold

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Catherine said her daughter, who won bronze and silver medals at previous European Championships, played her dash for the finish line as if she was still playing camogie.

The proud mother said: “It was as if she was going for goal with a hurl and a ball. That’s exactly what she was like. I thought, ‘That’s it, no-one is catching her’.”

She added: “We usually go to the European events, and we are all heading to [the Olympics in] Paris, but we opted out of this one [in Rome].

“A part of me regrets that now. We were rather nervous at home, pacing up and down the room. My husband, he was doing gymnastics, jumping up and down and then he ran outside shouting ‘yes, yes, yes’ and on down the street.”

Portaferry GAC coach Tom Murray said that Mageean, who left competitive camogie at under-16 level, was “the best player on the pitch” and her camogie stood to her in Rome.

Camogie pal Fiona Carey said: “Camogie led Ciara down a road and it took her to the world stage – without ever forgetting her roots.

“‘You’ll not get boxed in’ — it’s going to be the saying of the summer. It’s going to be the banner for the homecoming.”

Tom added: “They all deserve a homecoming. There’s such high hopes for Ciara that maybe she would wait ‘til after the Olympics.”

Club team-mate Maria McNally said of Mageean’s camogie reference: “It shows what type of person Ciara is. She is just a genuinely nice person.

“We’re a small part of the world here. To hear someone like Ciara talking about us on the world stage is just so nice.”

Portaferry GAC issued a statement to hail Mageean as “sensational”, adding “simply no other words” while supporters said she is the new “golden girl”.

Club supporter Sheila Bailie said: “Officially our golden girl. Ciara did the best post-race interview I’ve ever heard.

“Such an ambassador not only for Ireland, but for grassroots coaches, for athletics, for camogie, for the GAA, and for Portaferry.”

Mageean revealed how she used her years as a camogie player to outwit her competitors – British runners Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell — who threatened to block her sprint to first place with 90m to go in Sunday’s tense finish.

She said: “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.”

Mageean added: “To be able to win the gold, to be able to bring that home to Ireland and to see our flag at the top, is something truly special. I’m looking forward to hearing Amhrán na bhFiann. It’s everything I run for.”

She added: “Words can’t even come close. Everybody back home knows how long I have been doing this, how hard I have been trying.”

Irish supporters in Rome had already cheered Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Madwsley to history last Saturday by winning the 400m mixed relay gold with Chris O’Donnell, from Sligo, and Thomas Barr, from Waterford.

Not only was it Ireland’s first European gold in 26 years since Sonia O’Sullivan in 1998, but it was also the first time the 4 x 400m mixed relay was held in the 90-year history of the European Championships, which began in Italy in 1934.

The next stop for Mageean and the Irish team is the Paris Olympics and they have laid down a serious marker that will make the athletics world sit up and take notice.

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