Michael Flatley’s wife, Niamh, has died aged 52 after a period of illness, the Lord of the Dance star has announced.
Niamh passed away peacefully at Beacon Hospital in Dublin, according to a statement from the family. No specific cause of death has been disclosed.
Flatley, 68, shared the news on Instagram on Monday evening alongside photographs of his wife, including images from their wedding and one with their son, Michael Saint James.
“My heart is broken. I have lost my beautiful wife, Niamh, and my best friend,” he wrote. “My gorgeous bride of twenty years has gone to the Lord in Heaven.”
He added: “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.”
A representative for Flatley and the O’Brien family thanked the doctors, nurses and staff at Beacon Hospital who cared for Niamh in recent weeks, as well as those who had offered support to the family.
Friends said Flatley had been left “distraught, devastated and utterly grief stricken” by his wife’s death.
Tributes were posted by fans of the Riverdance star, with one writing: “So sorry for your loss Michael. Sending thoughts and prayers to you all.”
Niamh Flatley’s dancing career
Niamh, who was from County Meath, was an accomplished Irish dancer. She competed at an elite level as a teenager and finished fourth in the World Irish Dancing Championships at the age of 17.
She went on to become a professional performer and appeared during the original Riverdance era, including the production’s famous interval performance at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.
Niamh later performed in Flatley’s productions Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger. She also played Saoirse, the lead character in Lord of the Dance.
Despite her ill health, she continued working behind the scenes on Flatley’s touring productions alongside costume designers, service providers and dancers.
Flatley and Niamh began their relationship in 2006 and married later that year in Fermoy, County Cork. Their son, Michael Saint James, was born in 2007.
Speaking in 2013, Flatley described Niamh as his “best friend”, saying: “She is highly intelligent. She is my best friend. She is extraordinarily beautiful, inside and out. I am proud to be her husband. I am blessed to have her. She is a loyal true blue.”
He also spoke of the support she gave him during his battle with cancer, recalling that she had smiled at him while he was seriously ill in hospital.
The couple were last seen in public together in August at the 90th birthday celebrations of Michael Smurfit in Monaco.
