“SHE WAS ONLY 37…” — HUSBAND’S HEARTBREAKING FAREWELL TO DANIELLE O’KEANE AS HE CALLS HER “AN ANGEL ON EARTH”

She had spent the evening enjoying Westlife with friends. She was supposed to meet her husband afterwards, return home to her two little boys and prepare for a family holiday. Instead, Danielle O’Keane’s life ended just days after a tragic accident in Dublin. At her funeral, her husband delivered a deeply moving tribute to the woman he loved.

Danielle O’Keane, a 37-year-old mother of two from Newry, County Down, died on October 1, 2026, after sustaining critical injuries in a rickshaw accident near Dublin’s North Wall Quay.

Her death has left her husband, Dave, their young sons, Caolán and Cillian, and a wide circle of family and friends facing an unimaginable loss.

At Danielle’s funeral on October 9, mourners gathered at St Joseph’s Church in Newry to remember a woman whose family described her as loving, selfless and devoted to the people closest to her.

“AN ANGEL ON EARTH”

During his eulogy, Dave struggled to put into words what his wife had meant to him.

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

He reflected on the life they had built together, explaining that although they had been together for seven and a half years, they had created a home and a family filled with precious memories.

His words captured the depth of a loss that has changed the lives of everyone who loved Danielle.

For Dave, the challenge ahead is not only learning to live without his wife, but also finding the strength to support their two young boys as they grow up without their mother.

A NIGHT OUT THAT SHOULD HAVE ENDED AT HOME

On September 26, Danielle had travelled to Dublin with three friends to attend Westlife’s concert at the 3Arena.

It was a rare night out for the busy mum, who had been looking forward to enjoying the music before meeting Dave and the other women’s partners in the city centre.

After the concert, the group travelled by motorised rickshaw. According to reports, the vehicle struck a divider and overturned on North Wall Quay.

Danielle fell from the vehicle and was struck by a passing car, sustaining a devastating brain injury. She was taken to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, where she remained in intensive care.

Despite the efforts to treat her, she died five days later.

The circumstances of the incident have prompted calls for greater scrutiny of rickshaw safety and regulation in Dublin.

THE FAMILY HOLIDAY THAT WAS NEVER TO BE

One of the most painful details shared by Danielle’s relatives was that the family had been preparing for a holiday to Mallorca.

Her sister-in-law, Aisling O’Keane, recalled receiving a photograph of Danielle’s suitcases already packed for the trip.

Danielle had been looking forward to spending time away with Dave and their boys. The holiday was meant to be a happy family memory, but instead became a reminder of the future they had planned and would never experience together.

Aisling described Danielle as organised, loving and selfless, saying that her life revolved around her husband and children.

The thought of two young boys growing up without their mum has made the tragedy particularly painful for those who knew the family.

WESTLIFE’S TRIBUTE BROUGHT COMFORT

News of Danielle’s condition reached Westlife after the accident.

During a performance at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, the band dedicated Flying Without Wings and You Raise Me Up to Danielle and her grieving family.

Nicky Byrne asked the audience to sing for Danielle, while Shane Filan dedicated a later song to her and to everyone who had lost someone they loved.

For fans of the group, the tribute connected Danielle’s final night out with the music she had gone to enjoy — and offered a moment of support for her family during an extraordinarily difficult time.

A COMMUNITY UNITED IN GRIEF

Tributes have poured in from friends, relatives, colleagues and people who never knew Danielle personally.

Her colleagues at the HSE National Business Operations Department remembered her with affection and said she would be sadly missed.

An online fundraiser was also launched to help support Dave and the children as they face the future without Danielle.

The response from the public has reflected the impact of her story and the sympathy felt for a young family whose lives have been changed forever.

REMEMBERING DANIELLE BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Danielle was more than the woman at the centre of a tragic news story.

She was a wife who built a life with her husband, a mother whose world revolved around her boys, a daughter and sister who was deeply loved, and a friend whose kindness left a lasting impression.

Her funeral was a moment to celebrate that life, even as those closest to her struggled to accept her absence.

At just 37, Danielle O’Keane leaves behind two young sons, a heartbroken husband and a family who will carry her memory with them. Dave’s words — “an angel on earth” — offered a glimpse of the love at the heart of their story.

🕊️ Forever loved. Forever missed. Never forgotten.