Michael Flatley Reveals His Wife Has Died at 52 – Read His Touching Tribute

Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley is mourning the loss of his wife, Niamh O’Brien, a fellow dancer and his longtime costar. She was 52.

Flatley (68) shared the news on Instagram on Monday (October 5), writing, “My heart is broken. I have lost my beautiful wife, Niamh, and my best friend. My gorgeous bride of twenty years has gone to the Lord in Heaven.”

He continued, “She was the most loving mother, wife and person, and our lives will never be the same without her. Thank you for all the love and kindness you have shown us. Please keep Niamh, Michael St James, and our family in your thoughts and prayers.”

 

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Flatley and O’Brien began dating in June 2006 and tied the knot just four months later, getting married on October 14, 2006, at St. Patrick’s Church in Fermoy, County Cork, with a reception at Flatley’s historic Castlehyde House. They welcomed a son, Michael St. James, born in 2007.

According to the Irish Independent, O’Brien died at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin just hours before she was to be flown to see a specialist in the United States. The outlet noted that she had been sick for several years.

A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

It was reported that Flatley spent “every waking hour” caring for his wife, with family and friends telling the Daily Mail that the Riverdance star has been “left distraught, devastated, and utterly grief-stricken.”

O’Brien had been a dancer from a young age, growing up competing in Irish dance competitions. At age 17, she placed fourth in the World Irish Dancing Championships. She went on to dance professionally, appearing in the 1994 Eurovision interval performance.

She met Flatley when she landed a lead dancer role in Riverdance in 1993. O’Brien would go on to star in several more Flatley productions, including Lord of the Dance, where she played the lead character, Saoirse. She later danced in his productions Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger.

O’Brien was by Flatley’s side when he underwent surgery in 2023 following a diagnosis of an aggressive form of cancer.

Flatley opened up about his cancer battle and his wife’s support on The Late Late Show in May 2024, saying, “I’m married to the greatest girl in the world who looks after me and believes in me and stood beside me. I can’t explain the love that I have for my family.”