A Week to Remember and Celebrate Oisín

_{Oisín. We galloped over the glossy sea:}

_{I know not if days passed or hours,}

_{And Niamh sang constantly,}

_{Danaan songs, and their dewy showers…}

_{Passage from The Wanderings of Oisín, by William Butler Yeats}

By Vanessa Lantos Daly (Spicy Melon)

July 4, 2026 – This past Friday, June 12, around 11 a.m., drenched in chaos and terror, I said goodbye to the love of my life.

…That’s a lie.

I never said goodbye.

I couldn’t.

I still can’t.

After that happened, ripples of shock and grief spread throughout the city of Savannah. The love, friendships, and admiration this man inspired in countless people sent shockwaves far beyond this city. His kindness, and the memories people carry of him, reached every corner of the world he ever touched… and now all of that love came back here.

I never expected him to be just mine. He had too many gifts, his dreams were contagious, and his smile was always sincere. His actions were perpetually guided by morality and good intentions.

Being a jealous or insecure wife would have been impossible. We were independent, free spirits who chose to fully love each other every day, support each other, and stay intertwined even when our jobs and events kept us apart at times.

Sometimes for days.

I never felt anxiety, or sadness, or unloved. He was always with me.

And now, while admittedly I am still numb with grief and sadness… I still feel him close.

This coming week, beginning July 8, there will be three events celebrating his life.

I have received messages from around the world—from childhood friends, from “I knew him in passing, he was always so nice,” to “This man is my best friend, and my heart is completely shattered.”

We knew each other for 17 years. We were together for 15, and this year would have been our 13th wedding anniversary…

The love he inspires has changed my life, since I didn’t believe in marriage until I met him. He was a year younger than me, but an old soul and a man with no fear and no interest in playing games.

That man is pure love and talent.

His magic shines perpetually and has brought amazing people together to grieve, but also to celebrate him through their art and music.

These are the events for the week:

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

A funeral service will be held on July 8, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Families First Funeral Care & Cremation Center, located at 1328 Dean Forest Road in Savannah.

This will be followed by a Celebration of Life at The Sexton Pub and Provisions, located at 9 West 43rd Street.

His obituary, lovingly written by his eldest brother, Quinlan Osborne, can be found here.

Friday, July 10, 2026

Any Port in a Storm: Xuluprophet’s Tribute to Oisín Daly

Victory North

2603 Whitaker St.

3 p.m. – 11 p.m.

$20 ticket

This is an event organized by Xulu Jones, one of our closest friends and his bandmate in Xuluprophet. They connected through music and friendship for the past 15 years and built something extraordinary together.

From Xulu:

“On this night, we gather at Victory North in Savannah, Georgia, for Any Port in a Storm: Xuluprophet’s Tribute to OisínDaly.

The event runs from 3–11. Doors open at 3. Music starts at 5. Tickets are $20. This is a fundraiser for Vanessa Daly, and the purpose is simple: honor Oisín properly, gather the people who love him, and raise real support for the woman he loves.

This night is not a random benefit lineup. It is not a pile of bands thrown on a flyer because everybody wants to do something. The heart of this night is Xuluprophet honoring one of our own.

Xuluprophet is still the house. Oisín is still in the foundation. The music still carries him through the room.

Oisín “OceanMan” Daly is that kind of person.

To some people, he is a guitarist. To some, a bassist. To some, a producer, engineer, DJ, soundman, friend, husband, collaborator, problem solver, quiet genius, weird Irish wizard, or the guy in the back of the room making sure everything sounds better than it has any right to sound.

To me, he is my brother, my bandmate, my musical soulmate, and one of the main architects of Xuluprophet.”

To learn more, attend, or purchase a ticket for this event, click here.

Saturday, July 11, 2026

One More Show: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Oisín Daly

Starland Yard

2411 DeSoto Avenue

12 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Oisín was deeply connected to the local music scene on many levels.

This is how he connected and became great friends with Matt Karnes. Known locally as Matka, Matt quickly became one of our closest friends. Not only that, but they were building a business together.

This is an all-day DJ event.

From Matt:

“Some people leave behind memories. Others leave behind a community.

If you spent any time in Savannah’s music scene over the years, chances are you crossed paths with Oisín Daly. Whether through electronic music, live events, the many businesses he worked with, or simply as a friend, he had a way of making people feel welcome and comfortable. His passion for music and the people he lifted up helped shape this city’s scene in ways that are hard to put into words.

On July 11, the electronic community comes together at Starland Yard, one of the many venues he frequently played, for one more show.

Over the course of ten hours, more than 20 DJs and one special guest rapper, all of whom played alongside Oisín, learned from him, and called him a friend, will come together for a day of music and dancing to benefit his family.

This is an all-ages event, and everyone is welcome. Whether you knew Oisín personally or simply want to support the community he helped build, we’d love to have you there.

We will have a plethora of raffles to help raise money, with prizes generously gifted by the Savannah community. Every dollar raised will go toward helping Oisín’s family.”

To learn more about this event, click here.

All of the events this week are possible because of the immeasurable generosity and care of family, friends, businesses, venue owners, and everyone who has provided their time and resources to make it all happen.

I have immense gratitude for Xulu Jones and Matt Karnes, two of Oisín’s dearest friends (and mine), who, in spite of their own grief, took the time and care to organize these events.

And also for my family and close friends, who very lovingly refused to leave me alone in this house where it all happened for the first two weeks, until they could see I could start to breathe normally again.

I have said it before, but I’ll happily spend the rest of my life personally thanking everyone for every donation and every act of kindness that has allowed this to become The Week of Oisín.

I hope to see you next week, as we remember and celebrate him together.

Love always,

Vanessa

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