Niamh O’Brien, Irish dancer and wife of Michael Flatley, dies aged 52

Niamh O’Brien, the Lord of the Dance lead performer who later married fellow Irish dancer Michael Flatley, has died aged 52.

She passed away peacefully at the Beacon Hospital in south Dublin, “following a period of illness”, a representative said.

Niamh O’Brien suffered from a long-standing lung condition, which deteriorated in the last year. She was due to fly to the United States to receive a lung transplant but died before it could be carried out.

Flatley said in a statement: “My heart is broken. I have lost my beautiful wife, Niamh, and my best friend. My gorgeous bride of 20 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,” Flatley said.

“Thank you for all the love and kindness you have shown us. Please keep Niamh, Michael St James, and out family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Alongside the statement posted online, Flatley shared photos of his wife dancing, their wedding photo and a photo with their son, Michael St James.

“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,” the representative continued.

“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,” she continued.

The couple married in October 2006, in a Fermoy, Co Cork, church only 3km from the 18th-century Castlehyde estate, the Palladian-style ancestral home of first president of Ireland Douglas Hyde that Flatley bought in 1999 and later restored.

The couple have one child, Michael St James, who was born in 2007. Flatley himself was diagnosed with cancer in the past, and has spoken of his family’s support throughout those experiences.

Around Christmas in 2022, having been told of his cancer diagnosis by his doctor over the phone, Flatley later said in an interview: “I turned and there was Niamh ... She hugged me and everything seemed a little better.”

Niamh O’Brien, originally from Co Meath, competed as an Irish dancer at an elite level throughout her teenage years, placing fourth in the world championships when she was 17 years old.

After leaving the competition world to enter professional performances, she appeared in Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger – all live shows produced by Flatley that toured around the world.

In his autobiography published in 2007, Flatley recalled how he had known Niamh O’Brien for years as a friend and decided on New Year’s Eve 2006 that he was in love with her. They married 10 months later.

“It was Niamh I was looking for and she’d been right next to me on stage for all these years,” he wrote.

“Perfect partners on stage, I knew we could be perfect partners in life. There’s no way to explain how you know it’s the right person. You just do. And you know precisely at that second. I give thanks every day that she felt the same way.”

In an interview published in The Irish Times last year, he said: “I cannot remember us having bad words ... Of all the things I’ve got out of my dance career, my wife takes first place.”

Funeral arrangements for Niamh O’Brien will be announced in due course.