Tributes have been paid to Danielle O’Keane, the Newry mother-of-two who died after a Dublin rickshaw crash on her way back from a Westlife concert at the 3Arena. The 37-year-old was seriously injured on North Wall Quay last Saturday night, 26 September, and died in hospital on Thursday. Gardaí are still appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage.
At a glance
- Who: Danielle O’Keane (née Mullan), 37, from Saval, Newry
- Where: North Wall Quay, Dublin 1
- When: around 11pm on Saturday 26 September, after a Westlife concert at the 3Arena
- Died: Thursday 1 October, in hospital in Dublin
- Garda appeal: anyone with camera footage from North Wall Quay between 10.30pm and 11.15pm that night
A night out with friends
Danielle had gone to the Westlife gig with three friends. Afterwards, the four women took a rickshaw from the 3Arena towards the city centre, where they planned to meet Danielle’s husband and their own partners.
It is understood the rickshaw clipped the divider between the cycle lane and the road and overturned, and that Danielle fell into the path of an oncoming car. That account has been widely reported but has not been set out in any Garda statement.
Speaking to Newstalk earlier in the week, while Danielle was still in hospital, her sister-in-law described what happened as the women left the venue. “They had a great time,” she said. “Afterwards trying to get out of the 3Arena, it’s a little bit chaotic. The rickshaws can be quite excited to get you on board.”
She said the family had been due to go on holiday together the following week. “One of the last messages I had from Danielle was a picture of her suitcases packed for the holiday we were due to go on next week,” she said. “She was the most organised, loving, selfless person. Her life was about her kids and her husband.”
Tributes from home
Danielle’s death notice describes her as the “much loved wife of Dave and dear mother of Caolán and Cillian”, the beloved daughter of Michael and Pauline, and sister of Barry and her twin, Sean. Funeral arrangements are to be announced later.
Friends have shared tributes online, and a fundraiser set up for her family has reportedly raised well over £100,000. It has also been reported that Westlife contacted the family privately while Danielle was in intensive care.
Her sister-in-law has also called for tighter safety rules for rickshaws, according to Extra.ie. “There’s not enough policing around them being on the road. It’s basically a vehicle,” she said. “Anything that’s capable of carrying passengers, there should be a focus on policing them and making sure they’re road-safe.”
Garda appeal
In a statement issued on 28 September, gardaí said a woman in her 30s was struck by a vehicle on North Wall Quay at about 11pm on Saturday 26 September. She was taken by ambulance to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. Garda forensic collision investigators examined the scene.
Gardaí want to hear from anyone who saw the collision. Road users who were in the North Wall Quay area between 10.30pm and 11.15pm that night, and who may have camera or dash-cam footage, are asked to make it available.
Anyone with information can contact Store Street Garda Station on 01 666 8000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Getting home from the 3Arena
The 3Arena sits at the end of the Luas Red Line, with The Point stop right outside. Our guide to getting around Dublin covers the main options for getting into town after a gig.
Our thoughts are with Danielle’s husband Dave, her sons, and all her family and friends in Newry and beyond.
