Olympian Ciara Mageean's husband shares emotional first message following her death aged 34
Thomas Moran has paid tribute to his late wife, Olympian Ciara Mageean, in a heartbreaking statement, reflecting on their 12 years together and the future they had planned.
Mageean died on 1 November at Marie Curie Hospice, surrounded by her loved ones, aged just 34, with her death announced by her family in a statement shared on social media.
"A beloved daughter, sister, wife, friend, and inspiration to so many, she will be deeply missed," the statement read, followed by the Irish expression 'Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam', which means, 'May her soul be at the right hand of God'.
The athlete - who became one of Ireland's most celebrated middle-distance runners - revealed back in July 2025 that she'd been diagnosed with cancer, later speaking openly about her stage four bowel cancer diagnosis and the challenges she faced.
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Back in July, speaking to BBC’s GAA Social, she bravely admitted that 'sometimes it gets a little harder to hold on to the hope'.
"Then I pick myself up, and I shake myself off and remind myself there’s always some hope, so commence a new batch of treatment, continue to look forward to the things that I’m hoping to look forward to," Mageean explained. "Myself and Thomas are getting married in October.
"I’m not going to let this cancer get in the way of that."
In the years prior, she'd represented her country at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, before making history in 2024 by winning gold in the 1500m at the European Athletics Championships in Rome.
Now, Moran has broken his silence to share a deeply personal tribute to his wife, whom he described as someone he was 'entirely devoted' to.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, (11 November) - just over a week after the sportswoman sadly passed away - he shared a series of photographs of the couple together, including moments from their wedding celebrations.
"Twelve years ago, I was lucky enough to meet a girl," he began. "I knew immediately that she was special: kind, caring, generous, infectious and beautiful beyond words. I did not just fall in love; I became entirely devoted. Her joy became my joy, her fears my fears, and her dreams my dreams."
He went on to describe how the pair had built a life together, creating their own little world with two cats and a dog.
"We travelled and raced and won and lost, lived a life with all its flaws, but we did it together," Moran continued.
Rather than allowing his message to be filled with sadness, he explained that he wanted it to be one of pride, reflecting on the many milestones they had experienced together.
"I'm proud of every second I got to spend alongside Ciara in this world," Moran continued.
Among the moments he recalled were supporting her as she pursued her sporting ambitions, carrying her across the threshold of their first home and watching her meet their puppy, Sam, for the first time.
He also reflected on standing by her during the most difficult period of her life.
"Proud to have held her hand through the worst of her cancer treatment," Moran went on. "And proud to have seen the tear in her eye as she walked down the aisle on her dream wedding day. And proud to have lain by her side in her final moments of life, there with her family until the very end."
The couple had celebrated their marriage just weeks before Mageean's death, having first tied the knot in an intimate ceremony before celebrating with friends and family at Darver Castle.
Moran also paid tribute to the impact his wife had beyond their relationship, describing her as someone who had become 'Ireland's daughter'.
"Immensely proud, immensely loyal and immensely fierce, she was the epitome of the Irish warrior spirit," he wrote.
He then shared the touching story behind a necklace he had gifted Mageean before the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The necklace featured the word 'Invictus', taken from the famous poem by William Ernest Henley, which speaks of strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
Moran explained that he had wanted the piece to serve as a symbol of those qualities, but said Mageean went on to embody them in ways he could never have imagined.
He also opened up about the future they had hoped to share, admitting that there were so many experiences they would now never get to have together.
"I will miss Ciara forever. The miles we would have run, the homes we would have made, the children we would have had, and the long future we had planned together," he wrote.
However, he added that she would always remain in his heart as a 'flame of hope and inspiration', reminding others to keep fighting no matter how difficult life becomes.
Perhaps the most poignant part of his tribute came as Moran remembered Mageean's favourite place in the world - Windmill Hill, behind her family home in Portaferry, Northern Ireland.
He explained that she would regularly stand there and tell him how much the spot meant to her.
During the days surrounding her funeral, Moran returned to the hill several times to take in the view.
He described how the sky appeared bluer than he had ever seen it, allowing him to see across Strangford Lough, towards the Mourne Mountains and even as far as the Isle of Man.
"I've never seen it quite so beautiful," Moran added. "I don't normally believe in superstition, but someone was showing off."
Bringing his heartbreaking message to a close, he penned: "I knew in those moments that Ciara is in the real heaven now, because she is back home in Portaferry."
Rhianna Benson
