Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley paid an emotional tribute to his late wife Niamh O'Brien at her funeral, describing his grief as he said goodbye to his 'dream girl' and 'lady of the dance'. Flatley was accompanied by the couple's son Michael St James as he emotionally paid homage to their 'lady of the dance'.
Funeral Service at Church of St Thérèse
Ms O'Brien, 52, passed away peacefully at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin last week following an illness. Mourners from around the globe gathered to attend her funeral service at Church Of St Thérèse, Mount Merrion on Saturday. Among those present were former Riverdance principal dancer Padraic Moyles and actor Patrick Connolly Bergin, reports the Irish Mirror.
Ms O'Brien starred as the lead character Saoirse in the Lord of the Dance productions alongside Flatley. Flatley became emotional as he described the final three weeks as 'unbearable' for her as her condition deteriorated, and performed her favourite melody on his flute, telling mourners he anticipated their next dance together in heaven.
'I Have Never Felt Pain Like This'
He began his tribute through tears, asking: "How did we get here?" explaining that his legs felt hollow, that he felt empty inside, and had brought their son to the altar with him for support. "I felt a lot of pain in my life," he told mourners, alluding to his background as a boxer and throughout his dancing career. "But this morning I have never felt pain like this in my life."
He quoted Irish playwright Samuel Beckett and said "Where I am, I don't know, I'll never know, in the silence you don't know, you must go on, I can't go on, I'll go on."
"I can't believe that I was so lucky that Niamh said yes to me. She wasn't just my lady, the lady she was, she was my dream girl, she was my everything, she was the lady of the dance, she was the love of my life, she was the mother of our son, she was highly intelligent and she was the most beautiful girl in the world, my dream girl, Niamhy," he said.
Memories of Their Life Together
"We danced around the world for 20 years, and how well I remember her, she was always the dancer immediately on my left because she was the greater dancer we ever had because she was the most beautiful girl in the world."
He recalled before they became a couple, standing backstage at Madison Square Gardens waiting to go on stage. "I felt a hand in mine, turned to see Niamh there, she said 'remember Michael this was always your dream', I just wanted to say good luck. That was the person she was," he said.
"I remember I had a place in Barbados, we were there. She was stunning in her beautiful white dress and she was in the middle of telling me a story but I wasn't listening, I couldn't stop staring at her big eyes, perfect face, her warmth, she just exuded love. In the middle of a sentence I just said would you marry me Niamh, she stopped like a deer caught in the headlights. I got down on one knee and said, would you marry me Niamh, and she said yes, and my life was never the same again. She was the calming force in my life in every way. I was so lucky and so blessed to marry her, and the majority of people who saw us together agreed with that statement."
Final Weeks and Tributes
Flatley revealed the past year had been 'particularly difficult' but explained she would tell him off for saying anything that might worry her parents. "The last three weeks were torturous and unbearable for her because she couldn't breathe. Her sisters and her mother spent almost every single night at that hospital, what a family, absolutely incredible," he said.
"She's gone to heaven but heaven is everywhere, heaven is around us all right here today, I believe Niamh is standing beside me right at this moment, I can feel her. I love you Niamhy, my dream girl, and I'm looking forward to our next dance in heaven together."
Earlier, a priest described Ms O'Brien as a "human of great faith, selfless in care for others and a spirit believed in doing what was right". He said she was an outstanding ambassador and champion for Irish dance across the world. "Niamh loved the lord of the dance in heaven and the lord of the dance on earth too," he said.
Flatley's Career
Flatley, who was born into a working-class Irish-American household in Chicago, shot to stardom when Riverdance was performed during a seven-minute interval at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. Twelve months later, he staged a full-length production in Dublin before launching his own theatrical spectacle, Lord Of The Dance. He has also created, produced and directed other productions including Feet Of Flames and Celtic Tiger before branching out into cinema, helming and starring in the 2018 spy thriller Blackbird.
In the film, which also features Eric Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Ian Beattie, Flatley portrays former MI6 operative Victor Blackley, who finds himself pulled back into the shadowy world of espionage he had abandoned.
