Irish Olympian dies aged 38 as tributes paid to 'popular guy gone way too soon'
Tributes have been pouring in following the death of Ciarán Ó Lionáird
Irish Olympian and European Indoor medallist Ciarán Ó Lionáird has passed away at the age of just 38.
The Cork native was found dead in Montreal, Canada on Tuesday morning. He represented Ireland in the 1500m at the 2012 London Olympics and claimed bronze in the Men's 3000m at the 2013 European Indoor Championships.
Ó Lionáird reached the world 1500m final in 2011 and was seen as one of the best Irish middle-distance runners of his generation.
Growing up just outside Macroom, Ó Lionáird first made his mark at schools level as a national 1500m champion, before securing bronze at the 2005 European Youth Olympic Festival.
Following his school years, Ó Lionáird took up a scholarship at the University of Michigan before moving to Florida State University, where he achieved 'All American' status at the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship.
He had trained alongside Mo Farah in the build-up to the 2012 Olympics and vented his frustration after battling an Achilles injury when he came 13th in his 1500m heat.
“This has been the worst experience of my life,” he said. “There’s no positives I can take from this. Maybe if I spend some time away from the sport, it will get me healthy again and relight the fire.”
Hampered by injuries throughout his career, Ó Lionáird called time on his running in 2016.
However, he announced his comeback during the COVID-19 pandemic at the age of 32, aiming to secure qualification for the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games the following year. Sadly, illness derailed those ambitions and he retired for a second time in 2020.
Ó Lionáird worked at Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon from 2015 to 2021, before spending three years in Los Angeles with smart TV manufacturer Vizio. He also had a stint working in Mexico City.
Tributes have been pouring in following his death, with one person writing online: "Terribly sad news . Such a great talent, loved watching him race . RIP Ciarán."
Another said: "A popular guy gone way too soon. Rest in peace."
Someone else said: "Ciaran was a family member to me & my idol on & off the track."
One other comment read: "Gone far too soon, but he packed a hell of a lot into his 38 years. Rest in peace, Ciarán Ó Lionáird."
