Riverdance star Michael Flatley has said his "heart is broken" as he announced the death of his wife, dancer Niamh O'Brien, in a moving social media post. The choreographer, 68, best known for creating the Riverdance Irish dancing troupe, remembered his "beautiful wife" and "best friend" in a heartfelt post shared on Instagram on Monday evening (October 5).
Tribute to his wife of 20 years
The couple, who performed together in the Irish dance show set up by Flatley titled Lord Of The Dance, were married for 20 years. In a post shared on Instagram, he said: "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. 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."
Alongside the tribute, Flatley also shared a carousel of photographs, including one of his wife dancing, a wedding photo and a photo with their son, Michael St James, who was born in 2007.
Family statement and career highlights
A spokesperson for Flatley also said: "The Flatley and O'Brien families are devastated by Niamh's sudden passing and have asked that their privacy be respected as they come to terms with this heartbreaking loss. They express their sincere gratitude to the doctors, nurses and staff at Beacon Hospital who cared for Niamh over the past few weeks, and to everyone who has offered their kindness and support to the family."
Flatley, who was born into a blue-collar Irish-American family in Chicago, rose to fame when Riverdance performed during a seven-minute interval at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. A year later, he had a full-length show in Dublin and followed this up with his own stage show, Lord Of The Dance.
He has also created, produced and directed other productions including Feet Of Flames and Celtic Tiger before expanding into film, directing and starring in the 2018 spy thriller Blackbird. In the movie, which also stars Eric Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Ian Beattie, Flatley plays former MI6 operative Victor Blackley, who is drawn back into the world of espionage he had left behind.
