Michael Flatley, born to his parents on July 16, 1958, is currently 65 years old as of 2024. He is an American dancer renowned for his work in Irish dance shows such as Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, Celtic Tiger Live, and Michael Flatley’s Christmas Dance Spectacular. Flatley’s shows have played to more than 60 million people in 60 countries and have grossed over $1 billion.
He is credited with reinventing traditional Irish dance by incorporating new rhythms, syncopation, and upper body movements, which were previously absent from the dance. Flatley retired from dance in 2016 due to constant spinal, knee, foot, and rib pain. In January 2023, it was reported that he was being treated for “an aggressive cancer”.
Michale Flatley Parents
Michael Flatley’s parents are Michael James Flatley and Elisabeth “Eilish” Flatley (née Ryan). Michael James Flatley was a plumber from County Sligo, and Eilish was a gifted step dancer from County Carlow, whose mother, Hannah Ryan, was a champion dancer.
They met at an Irish dance in Detroit and were married there on August 25, 1956. They had five children: Anne-Marie, Michael, Eliza, Thomasina, and Patrick. Michael and Eilish emigrated to the United States in 1947, and the family moved from Detroit to Chicago’s South Side when Michael was two months old.
Michale Flatley Children
Michael Flatley, the renowned Irish dancer, has a son named Michael St. James, who was born in 2007. He shares his life between a home in Monte Carlo and Castlehyde House in Ireland with his wife, Niamh O’Brien, a longtime dancer from several of his shows. The couple got married in a Roman Catholic ceremony at St. Patrick’s Church in Fermoy, County Cork, in October 2006.
Michael Jr., as he is affectionately known, has been described as his father’s double, sharing a striking resemblance and a similar interest in the arts. He is described as a very academic young man, a flautist, an electric guitar player, an actor, and a director, showcasing a creative and multifaceted talent similar to his father’s.
Michale Flatley Siblings
Michael Flatley, the renowned Irish dancer, was born on July 16, 1958, and is the second of five children. His siblings are Anne-Marie, Eliza, Thomasina, and Patrick. His parents, Michael James Flatley and Elisabeth “Eilish” Flatley (née Ryan), both emigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1947. Michael’s father was a plumber from County Sligo, and his mother was a gifted step dancer from County Carlow, whose mother, Hannah Ryan, was a champion dancer.
Michale Flatley Spouse
Michael Flatley’s spouse is Niamh O’Brien. They met on the dance floor, and their relationship began in a whirlwind way. After 16 years of marriage, they continue to be deeply in love. Michael Flatley was first married to Beata Dziaba for 11 years, but they divorced in 1997.
He then had a high-profile relationship with Lisa Murphy, which ended in 2006. Michael Flatley and Niamh O’Brien announced their engagement in August 2006 and got married in October of the same year at St. Patrick’s Church in Fermoy, County Cork. Niamh, who is 16 years younger than Michael, performed in many of his shows, and there was an immediate attraction between them. They welcomed their first and only child, Michael St. James, after just a year of marriage.
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