Daniel O'Donnell

Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell was born on 12 December 1961 and raised in the village of Kincasslagh,^[2] in The Rosses district in the west of County Donegal, Ireland. He is the youngest child in a Roman Catholic family, born to Julia (née McGonagle; 1919–2014)^[3] and Francis O'Donnell, and has four older siblings John, Margaret (Margo), Kathleen, and James. He has described his upbringing as mostly happy, apart from the death of his father from a heart attack when O'Donnell was six years old.

During his school years, O'Donnell considered a career in banking, although music was also a strong possibility. As a youngster, he sang in the local church choir. In 1980, he moved to Galway to pursue business studies, but he did not settle and returned home by Christmas to join his sister Margo's band. By that time, Margo had already established a successful career in Ireland.

O'Donnell married 41‑year‑old divorcée Majella McLennan from Thurles on 4 November 2002, when he was 40.^[15] The couple had met on holiday in Tenerife three years earlier. McLennan had received an annulment of her previous marriage, from which she has two children.^[16] O'Donnell and McLennan live in Meenbanad, County Donegal, and spend part of the year at their second home in Tenerife.^[17]

O'Donnell is proficient in Irish and has presented a programme in the language for the broadcaster TG4.^[18]

Although he rarely comments on political matters, O'Donnell voiced his support for the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland in 2015.^[19][20] He has also spoken in favour of redress for homeowners in Ireland whose houses were built using mica.

O'Donnell has been involved in numerous charitable causes for many years, most notably in Romania. He has supported the Romanian Challenge Appeal, a charity that helps orphaned Romanian children integrate into society. He also encouraged Irish families to host these young people in Ireland for a period.^[21]

O'Donnell is often noted for his gentle, soft‑spoken personality and clean‑cut image, which have become as recognisable as his music. Over the years he has attracted considerable media attention, and there have been numerous cultural references to him. He is frequently satirised in Irish and British comedy, largely due to the common perception that his audience consists mainly of older women.^[22] He was parodied as the celebrity singer "Eoin McLove" in the Father Ted episode "Night of the Nearly Dead", and the BBC sketch-show Chewin' the Fat as an Irish singer named "Donald O'Daniel". The comedy series Bull Island and the radio sketch segment Gift Grub portrayed him, often singing about his "mammy".^[23] DJ Chris Moyles has parodied O'Donnell on several occasions.^[24]

O'Donnell is known for his close relationship with his fans and holds a meet‑and‑greet session after almost every concert. He previously hosted a large annual tea party for fans outside his home in Donegal.^[1] He has also expressed a wish to appear in Coronation Street.^[25]

He appeared on Martin and Paul's Surf 'n' Turf.^[26]

• 1988 – RTÉ Guide Favourite Country Artist of the Year
• 1989 – RTÉ Guide Favourite Country Artist of the Year
• 1989 – Donegal Person of the Year
• 1989 – IRMA Entertainer of the Year
• 1990 – RTÉ Guide Favourite Country Artist of the Year
• 1991 – RTÉ Guide Favourite Country Artist of the Year
• 1991 – British Country Music Awards International Artist of the Year
• 1991 – CMRU Most Popular British Vocalist
• 1991 – IRMA Entertainer of the Year
• 1992 – IRMA Entertainer of the Year
• 1992 – RTÉ Guide Favourite Country Artist of the Year
• 1992 – British Country Music Awards International Artist of the Year
• 1992 – CMRU Most Popular British Vocalist
• 1995 – British Country Music Awards International Artist of the Year
• 1997 – British Country Music Awards Ambassador Award for Outstanding Services to Country Music
• 2000 – This Is Your Life Tribute^[31]
• 2002 – Awarded an Honorary MBE for services to the music industry and charity
• 2004 – Lifetime Achievement Award from The Irish Post
• 2011 – Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sunday World

• List of baritones in non-classical music
• Music of Ireland
• Country and Irish