By Debbie McGoldrick

THERE’S a big splashy spread of Michael Flatley and his very pregnant wife Niamh in the latest issue of Hello! magazine, which usually pays for celebrity exclusives. And indeed Michael did get six figures for the photo spread and interview, but instead of enriching his already bulging bank account he instead passed the fee straight on to Cork University Maternity Hospital, where Niamh will deliver their first baby by the end of this month.

“I don’t do these kind of celebrity magazine shoots as a rule but in this case I agreed because I knew the money would go to such a fantastic cause. I wanted the money to go to a good local cause,” Michael told the Irish Independent from his mansion in Castlehyde in Cork.

The folks at the new hospital, which is apparently the most cutting edge in Ireland, were naturally flabbergasted by Michael’s generosity.

“It was like Christmas came early for us,¨ said one hospital official. “We are sure that this generous gift will bring happiness and comfort to hundreds of families for years to come.”

Michael, though still battling the after-effects of a mystery illness that forced him to cancel his Celtic Tiger tour of Europe late last year, has never looked better in the photo spread, and Niamh looks radiant. This child of theirs is going to be some looker!

The photos were taken in Castlehyde and its lush grounds, where the couple were married last October and where they will continue to live when baby makes three.

“To be honest, I can’t get over the fact that I’m about to become a dad,” said Michael. “Nothing compares to what I feel right now. It’s probably one of the greatest, most moving experiences life can offer. I can’t wait to have my own little kid to dote on and look after.”

Michael and Niamh do know the sex of their child, “but I’m under threat of death not to mention anything,” he said, adding that he will be present for the birth. “Niamh is having the baby for us, so the least I can do is be there.”