Ciara Mageean clinches gold in 1500m final at European ...

Her victory capped a journey that had been two decades in the making, ever since she took up the sport as a child in Portaferry, juggling it with camogie throughout her teenage years. There had been plenty of heartbreak along the way, but now she was here, draped in that tricolour she loves, in the green vest she calls her “superpower”.

Ciara Mageean: champion of Europe.

She was, by some distance, the fittest and fastest on the night, but at this point in her career, Mageean knew an opportunity like this wasn’t going to come around often – and that fuelled something in her.

“It’s also about who wants it the most,” she said. “And I wanted it the most out there.” She played a patient game to win her third European medal, her first major championship title, biding her time behind the leaders as the pace moved at a pedestrian pace to halfway. Britain’s Jemma Reekie had gone to the front from the start before hitting the brakes, content to let the pace dawdle as the field passed 400m bunched together in 67 seconds. Mageean sat quietly as the pace continued to lag through 800m, reached in 2:16.

Then slowly but surely the wheels began to turn, Reekie shifting through the gears with her teammate Georgia Bell on her shoulder. Mageean sat waiting, and waiting, then waiting some more, and on the final turn it looked like she was in trouble, trapped in a box on the inside. But she’s been around this game long enough to know a gap usually opens, and it did.

“I knew I had it in my legs,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m feeling good, I’m feeling good.’ It often opens up and I was telling myself not to panic. The gap was going to come and I made sure when it was 100 metres to go I saw a little bit of light that I was going to take it.” She seized her chance, darting into it and powering clear, hitting the line in 4:04.66, her last lap covered in 60.34, with Bell second in 4:05.33 and France’s Agathe Guillemot third in 4:05.69. Ireland’s Sarah Healy had a fine run to finish seventh in 4:06.77.

This was the 19th Irish medal in the 90-year history of these championships, across 26 editions. And just as the mixed relay quartet joined Sonia O’Sullivan as the only Irish gold medallists on Friday night, Mageean now joins O’Sullivan as the only athlete to have won more than two medals at it, Sonia still occupying rarefied air with her tally of five.

“I’d prefer three golds,” she laughed. “But I’ll take gold, silver and bronze – taking them back home to Portaferry.” With less than two months until the Olympics, the manner in which she left a strong field trailing up the home straight underlined she’s a genuine medal contender there too. “I don’t feel like I’m the polished item out there yet, it’s only the beginning of the season,” she said. “I had a rocky month coming into this but it’s a lesson in life: not everything can be perfect. I said to my boyfriend today, ‘I’m looking forward to getting back training.’ That’s just a start to the year.” Mageean had gone into the race as favourite, but that was no bulletproof position given the calibre of athletes against her. She was the fastest 1500m runner in the line-up but this was not a race where the form book could truly be relied upon, given it’s still eight weeks until the race all these athletes are truly targeting in Paris.

She had endured a rocky year to date, missing the indoor season with a hamstring niggle she picked up while setting world Parkrun best in Belfast in December. In a year like this, replete with major championship opportunities, no unnecessary risks would be taken with her health.

After all, she’s already lost so many opportunities, her career hanging by a thread for much of her early 20s as she struggled with chronic issues in her ankle. Those lost years meant her decadent helping of talent only came to fruition much later than most 1500m runners, Mageean having her best season last year at the age of 31, finishing fourth in the world final and lowering the Irish 1500m record to a blazing 3:55.87.

Back in 2009, Mageean won silver at the World U18 Championships and in 2010 she won silver at the World U20 Championships. The global medal she wants so very much at senior level has eluded her, but with eight weeks until she lines out at the Paris Olympics, she’s in a good spot to go after it. Stronger than she’s ever been at this part of the season, and with plenty of time to bring her fitness to a boil for the event that matters most. But thoughts of Paris didn’t need to occupy much time here in Rome, not when this achievement was enough to stand alone. Mageean had twice won medals at this event: bronze in 2016 and silver in 2022. But now it was the one she wanted most.

It was a sign of her class – a trait she’s long shown away from the track as much as on it – that she took time after to pay tribute to the Irish fans who’d made the journey, complimenting the work of so many volunteers across the country who keep Irish athletics ticking and the crowds who’d roared themselves hoarse as she powered to glory.

“Look around this stadium and there’s always tricolours,” she said. “To know these people are spending their hard-earned cash to come here and cheer us on and knowing how much it means to them, it fills my heart with joy.” Earlier this week, Mageean told me it would be “an absolute dream to hear Amhrán na bhFiann” ring out at the Stadio Olimpico and on Monday evening in Rome, at long last, she will have that chance. It’s been a long, rocky road to get here. She’s earned the right to savour every note.