Westlife dedicated a song to Danielle O'Keane, a 37-year-old mum-of-two who died after a rickshaw crash following one of their Dublin shows. The band performed 'You Raise Me Up' in her memory during their Newcastle concert at the Utilita Arena on Saturday, October 3.
Crash and hospital treatment
Danielle, from Saval in Newry, Co Down, sustained a “life ending brain injury” after a crash on North Wall Quay, Dublin, at around 11pm on Saturday, September 26. She was rushed to Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and had been in ICU on a ventilator.
On the night of the crash, Danielle was heading to Dublin city centre with friends after seeing Westlife at the 3Arena when the rickshaw she was travelling in hit a curb. She passed away from her injuries on Thursday, October 1.
Family tribute and funeral notice
Her husband, Dave O'Keane, posted a single broken heart on social media on Friday. He also shared the funeral notice by Charles Digney and Sons Funeral Directors, which described Danielle, née Mullan, as the “much loved wife of Dave and dear mother of Caolán and Cillian.”
The notice continued: “Beloved daughter of Michael and Pauline, and dear sister of Barry and her twin Sean. Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on her soul. Deeply regretted by her sorrowing husband, children, parents, brothers, sisters in law, brothers in law, mother in law Dolores, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, family circle & friends.”
Emotional on-stage tribute
During the Newcastle show, singer Shane Filan said: “This song is sung tonight to everybody who has lost somebody they love and for Danielle. We are going to celebrate them all up here, right now,” as drones with red lights shone above the stage.
The tribute was shared on social media by Danielle's husband and met with an outpouring of sympathy from fans. One tribute read: “My deepest condolences go to Danielle’s husband, children, family and friends. My thoughts are with you during this incredibly difficult time. Rest in peace Danielle.”
Speaking on Newstalk while Danielle was still in hospital, her sister-in-law Aisling O'Kane described her as “loving” and “selfless.” She said Danielle had been at the Westlife gig with three friends and “they had a great time.”
“Afterwards trying to get out of the 3Arena, it’s a little bit chaotic. The rickshaws can be quite excited to get you on board. So the four girls decided to get on board one and they were travelling into the city centre to meet up with Danielle’s husband and the other three girls’ partners and husbands.”
“One of the last messages I had from Danielle was a picture of her suitcases packed for the holiday we were due to go on next week. She was the most organised, loving, selfless person. Her life was about her kids and her husband.” Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
