“I’D GIVE ANYTHING TO SEE HER SMILE AGAIN” — HEARTBROKEN HUSBAND’S TRIBUTE TO DANIELLE O’KEANE AT HER FUNERAL

A church in County Down was filled with grief as family and friends gathered to say goodbye to Danielle O’Keane, the 37-year-old mother of two who died following a rickshaw incident after a Westlife concert in Dublin. Her husband Dave delivered an emotional tribute, describing her as “an angel on earth.”

There are moments when words can never fully express the depth of a loss. For Dave O’Keane, standing before mourners to say goodbye to his wife Danielle was one of those moments.

The 37-year-old mother died on October 1, five days after suffering serious injuries in an incident on North Wall Quay in Dublin. On Friday, October 9, loved ones gathered at St Joseph’s Church in County Down for her funeral Mass, remembering a woman whose life revolved around her husband, their two young sons and the family they had built together.

“SHE WAS AN ANGEL ON EARTH”

In his eulogy, Dave struggled to put into words what Danielle had meant to him.

He described her as “the most beautiful woman” he had ever known, both inside and out, and called her “an angel on earth.”

He spoke of her kindness, selflessness and the smile that could brighten any room.

“I spent so much of our time together trying to make her smile, and I’d give absolutely anything to hear that laugh or see that smile again,” he said.

His words offered a deeply personal glimpse into a relationship that had brought him immense happiness — and a loss he now finds difficult to comprehend.

 A LIFE THEY HAD BUILT TOGETHER

Dave explained that although they had been together for seven and a half years, they had managed to build a whole life together.

They had welcomed their sons, Caolán and Cillian, bought a home and married. They had also looked forward to future family adventures, including a holiday to Mallorca that had been planned for October.

“We always used to say we’d wish we’d met earlier in life, because even the rest of our lives didn’t feel like enough,” Dave said.

The family’s plans had been full of anticipation. Instead, the days that should have been spent making holiday memories became a period of unimaginable grief.

 A MOTHER WHO LOVED HER FAMILY

Those closest to Danielle have repeatedly spoken about her devotion to her children and husband.

Her sister-in-law, Aisling O’Keane, previously described her as loving, organised and selfless. One of Danielle’s final messages to her family had been a photograph of the suitcases packed for their upcoming holiday.

At the funeral, Dave also spoke about how much being a wife and mother meant to Danielle.

“That was her world,” he said, recalling how she was always thinking about the family’s next adventure.

For those who knew her, Danielle’s legacy is not defined by the tragedy that took her life, but by the warmth and care she brought to the people around her.

 THE INCIDENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Danielle had attended Westlife’s concert at Dublin’s 3Arena with three friends on September 26.

After the show, the group travelled by rickshaw towards the city centre to meet their husbands and partners. The vehicle was reportedly involved in an incident on North Wall Quay, after which Danielle fell from it and was struck by a passing vehicle.

She was taken to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, where she received treatment for severe injuries. She died on October 1.

Her death notice described it as the result of an accident. The incident also prompted renewed calls for clearer safety rules governing rickshaws in Dublin.

 WESTLIFE’S MOVING TRIBUTE

The band whose concert Danielle had attended also paid tribute to her following her death.

During a performance in Newcastle, Westlife dedicated Flying Without Wings and You Raise Me Up to Danielle and to others who had lost someone they loved.

Nicky Byrne asked the audience to sing for Danielle, while Shane Filan dedicated a song to her and grieving families.

For her loved ones, the tribute connected the music she had enjoyed on what should have been a happy night out with the memories they will carry forward.

 “THE REASON I GET UP IN THE MORNING IS THEM”

As Dave spoke about the future, he acknowledged the pain of losing his best friend while recognising the two young boys who now need him.

“I’ve never felt pain like this. I feel totally lost and alone without her,” he said.

“But then I look at my two beautiful boys. The reason I get up in the morning is them.”

His words captured the impossible balance facing a grieving parent: carrying the weight of personal heartbreak while finding the strength to care for the children they shared.

Danielle’s family, friends and colleagues have continued to share messages of sympathy, remembering her as a kind and much-loved woman.

At just 37, Danielle leaves behind two young sons, a heartbroken husband and a family who will continue to carry her memory. At her funeral, Dave’s words made one thing unmistakable: she was deeply loved, and she will be profoundly missed.