The former parish priest of Portadown returned for one day only as he recalled his ‘lifelong friendship’ with the late Olympic athlete Ciara Mageean.
The middle-distance runner died peacefully at the Marie Curie Hospice surrounded by her family on Sunday morning.
Her death came just one year after she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer.
On Tuesday morning, mourners gathered at St Patrick’s Church, Ballyphilip to pay their respects to the four-time European medalist, and two-time Olympian.
Among those included members of Portaferry Gaelic Athletic Club, as well as Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill and SDLP leader Claire Hanna. The Aide de Camp to the President of Ireland was also in attendance, as well as An Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s Aide de Camp.
The President of the GAA Jarlath Burns, was also in attendance, paying his respects.
A statement from the Bishop of Down and Connor, Bishop Alan McGuckian, said Ciara was ‘a truly wonderful ambassador for sport.’
Fr Martin Kelly, parish priest of Portaferry from 2000 to 2009, led the funeral Mass. The 85-year-old detailed how he had known Ciara from a young age, along with her family and siblings.
‘Thomas, you were the love of her life,’ Fr Kelly said of Ciara’s husband.
The former parish priest shared how Ciara was eight years old and an altar server when he came to the church.
‘It was the beginning of our long-life friendship,’ he said, and went on to detail his memories of Ciara’s athletic achievements.
The first was her medaling in the U18 World Championships in Canada.
‘There was a wide circle of Portaferry people to welcome her,’ he said. ‘She gave me the warmest of hugs, and I’ve always cherished that moment.’
The second moment came following Ciara’s 2024 European bid — which saw the late runner ‘boxed in’ at third place before cutting through to win Gold.
Fr Kelly spoke of one of his final conversations with Ciara, which was a few weeks earlier at the Marie Curie Hospice.
The priest detailed how he gave Ciara the anointing of the sick, which was followed by Ciara wanting to go for a walk.
‘I couldn’t believe it,’ he shared. ‘I wasn’t expecting that. I said, “Sure.” Thinking that it would be easy because of her condition. I’d be able, even at the age of 85, to match her stride for stride. But for Ciara, a walk was much more than a dander.’
Fr Kelly detailed that the pair did a round near the hospice, only for Ciara to want to do another lap.
‘I nearly collapsed,’ he admitted, prompting chuckles. ‘On the way back, she knew I was struggling, and she said, “Let me link you.” There was still a bit of the macho man in me, so I hesitated; linking arms wasn’t me.
‘Then, I gave in. One of my happiest moments and memories is that of Ciara Mageean linking arms with me as we walked back to her room, just a few weeks before she went to heaven.
‘Thank you, Ciara, from the bottom of my heart. May you pray for us all and continue to link all of us on our journeys through life.’
Ciara is survived by her husband Thomas, parents Christopher and Catherine, siblings Máire, Brendan and Nuala, as well as her godchildren, nieces, nephews and extended family.
