AS Ciara Mageean turned to her right with a European gold medal around neck, she awaited the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann.
This moment was just as important as when she crossed the finishing line in first place in Sunday night’s 1,500m final in Rome’s Olympic Stadium.
Wiping away tears and wearing the broadest of smiles, the Portaferry native sang the words.
Speaking from the family home on the Ards peninsula, Chris Mageean, Ciara’s father, said standing on the podium as a gold medalist and representing Ireland was what she’d dreamed about.
“When she’s running with the green jersey on, that’s what all this has been for,” said Chris.
“Since Catherine and I were taking her to the Mary Peters Track every Saturday, it was to hear Amhrán na bhFiann blasting out in the stadium – that’s what Ciara has lived for.”
After a roller-coaster career that has its fair share of bitter disappointments, many caused by injury, Mageean celebrated her first major title win.
In a nerve-shredding final, it appeared the Irish woman would be boxed in coming down the home straight, but a small gap opened up between the two front runners Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell – both British runners – and Mageean powered home.
Afterwards, she joked: “I didn’t play all that camogie to be boxed in!”
Watching the race on television at home, Ciara’s mother and father knew she would win just by the expression on her face.
“When she came off the last bend with the two British girls in front of her, it was tight and whenever I saw a smile coming to her face, it was happening,” said Chris.
“I know by looking at her expressions where she’s at in a race. I knew it was in her legs. She’s driven.”
Ciara’s last game of camogie was captaining the Portaferry minors to a championship victory over neighbours Ballycran before she swapped her hurley for the spikes.
Chris, who represented Portaferry and Down at hurling with distinction, agreed that the physicality that comes along with playing camogie helped her going down the home straight.
And it’s a sporting code he would love to see his daughter return to when she says goodbye to the track.
“Ciara wouldn’t worry about the physical end of things,” said Chris.
“She had to stop playing camogie because of running but there’d always be a hurling stick lying about the house and if we went to the park, she’d go down and puck a ball about at half-time.
“She’d love to be back at it, and maybe come the time when the legs run out, I’d like to see her playing again.”
Mageean will turn her attention to the Paris Olympics (July 26 to August 11) where she hopes to exorcise the bitter memory of Tokyo 2020 after failing to qualify for the semi-finals. It was later revealed she’d suffered a calf tear a few days out from the heats.
She finished in a commendable fourth place at last year’s world championships, taking 0.02 seconds off her previous 1,500m Irish record.
With a European gold in her back pocket, Chris is hoping that it will allow his daughter to enjoy the Olympic experience a little more.
“When she comes through the door at home, she’s just Ciara Mageean,” Chris says. “She’s just a Portaferry girl. She loves Portaferry. There’s no place in the world she’d rather be.
“I know the enormity of what she achieved on Sunday night. She’s very gracious and humble and that’ll never change.”
