Michael O’Neill: Ciara Mageean was a finest positive example for Northern Ireland
Irish Olympian Ciara Mageean was ‘a finest example of sport being the most positive thing in Northern Ireland’, according to the manager of the Province’s football team, Michael O’Neill.
He was speaking on the day family and friends of the champion runner made their final farewells to her in her hometown of Portaferry after she died from cancer, aged 34.
"I know Ciara and the news that came through on Sunday was devastating,” Michael O’Neill said. “I think that sport in Northern Ireland shows the best side of Northern Ireland at a time when maybe we've not always shown the best side of ourselves in other areas.
"But certainly sport is always the most positive thing in Northern Ireland and Ciara Mageean was an example of that at its finest in terms of what she was as an athlete, but also what she was as a person.
"It's devastating news and obviously sympathies to her family. She left an incredible legacy, not only as an athlete, but also as a person as well.”
Team Ireland, the Irish Olympic Team, said that "one of Ireland's brightest stars is laid to rest today".
It added: "She is a person who touched lives with her kindness, her openness and her wit. Her journey in sport was one of resilience, tackling the lows with positivity and determination, and sharing the highs with a nation.
"Her journey through life was no different. Today we grieve for a teammate, mourn for a role model and share our condolences with Thomas, her parents and family, and the thousands of friends and teammates she gathered along the way. Once an Olympian, Always an Olympian. Ciara truly was the best of us."
Former DUP special advisor Wallace Thompson said that although he never met Ciara, her passing at only 34 is “really hard to comprehend”. He added: "What stands out in all the tributes, apart from her obvious sporting accomplishments, was her genuinely warm personality and her humility.
"A lovely person and a very sad loss."