Daniel O'Donnell Fern Britton Meets...

I've come to Dublin, capital of Ireland and city of a thousand

welcomes - I've come to meet one of Ireland's famous favourite sons. He

used to work here in the historic Central Hotel. He's the housewive's

favourite. He's King of middle of the road. He's son ten million

albums and has a fanatical fan base. And Daniel had the whole package.

He really had it, and if you bottled it, you'd make a fortune.

# Welcome to my world # Won't you come on in #

Daniel O'Donnell is the man with the winning smile, the smooth voice

and the squeaky clean image. like our stars to be dirty rock 'n'

roll guys in are outrageous, doing outrageous things that we can write

about. Daniel was none of that. This is where he once worked - here

in the very kitchens of this hotel, washing dishes for a living and

dreaming of what might be. # Standing centre stage for all of

Even though he's had enormous success, he's never forgotten that

he is a Donegal boy at heart. # This is my homeland

# No matter where I go, it's in my soul #

To those who don't know him, he seems too good to be true.

thought he would be quiet, he would be boring, so I was really

surprised, you know, at the sense of humour that he had. Do you sit

there in your Andes scratching and trumping? If something needs

scratching, ideal scratch it, yeah. The irony is, any of these women

would scratch it for you! APPLAUSE

This year, he's celebrating 30 years in show business, but there

was a moment when he thought his career could be over.

Christmastime, 1991, my voice just went. (Snaps fingers) So it was

just - I had to stop. His Catholic faith was always a guiding force -

so much so that he nearly lost the love of his life. Daniel said to me

he didn't think he could carry on with the relationship, the fact I

was divorced, had children, his I want to ask him about his fortune,

his fans and his faith which has held him in such good stead through

# Stand beside me # For if I lose you

# I just couldn't get anywhere # Stand beside me #

Daniel is adored by millions of fans. Their loyalty has been key to

his success. His music and his easy manner appeal to a more mature

female audience. What descriptions have you had about your... You know,

the toothless brigade or - what do they call them? The grey-haired

brigade, whatever kind of different - grab a granny - you know that

kind of thing, but they laugh at it too, you know, the people who go to

the - or menopausal is another one, yeah. But anyway... Well, that's me

described! That's the whole thing. # Driving in a black limousine

# A lot of sad people thinking that's mighty keen

# You exactly what I mean # Thank God I am a country boy

# Sun is coming up # Cakes on the griddle

# Life ain't nothing but a funny, funny fiddle #

He really pleases his fans and goes the extra mile from an

entertainer's point of view, I have never, ever seen an entertainer who

is happy to stay there as long as there are people queuing up to have

something signed. Whether that works or not, -- a ploy or not, I

don't know, but it works. He loves his fans. He's so delightful to

them. He'll talk all day. Probably that is part of his Irish

upbringing. Ladies and gentlemen, without your presence tonight, this

would have been nothing. Thank you for making us feel so welcome.

Thank you. Well, the people who follow Daniel absolutely love him

because he is a very personable guy, and he has this amazing facility

for remembering people's names. He would actually refer to them by

their first name, having met them just once. Daniel, nice to see you.

How are you doing? I started out with small crowds,

and I did this, you know, because I enjoy talking to people. I enjoy

interacting with people. In the beginning, you know, when I started

out, the audiences were very small. As the audiences grew, the time I

was able to spend or I'm able to spend with each individual, you

know, decreased, but it still gives me something. I still get a feel

for the person who has been there. I always say that if you go

somewhere and meet nobody, you On the north-west coast of Ireland

in County Donegal, Daniel O'Donnell was born in 1961. He was the

youngest of five children. I was ten when Daniel was born. I will

never forget my father bringing John and Kathleen and James and

myself to Dungloe Hospital where Daniel was born, and my father was

so proud. He was so emotional, and I suppose Daniel was special to all

of us. He was the apple of my eye. You know, I used to nurse him all

the time and play with him, and it was - it was wonderful. Let's go

back to the young Daniel in your childhood and describe the home and

the village that you lived in. I was born and brought up in a

small, wee village called Kincasslagh on the Atlantic Ocean,

so we were - I suppose it's a very exposed, rugged, rugged part of the

coastline. I - I think that the one thing that I remember is endless

freedom, no danger. The doors were Even as a young boy, Daniel loved a

good old chat. Daniel knew everybody, and everybody knew

Daniel, you know. He loved talking, you know, to older people, and he

loved gossip. You described yourself as a newspaper on legs.

know! I would just be from house to house, and anything was going on, I

had it on the tip of my tongue, so I was like a newspaper on legs. I

could - I had everything that happened there, told there before

it even reached anywhere else. There were few jobs to be had in

their village, so Daniel's father, like many fellow countrymen, was

forced to find work elsewhere. People went to work in Scotland,

and they would work on farms. They would dig Frenchs or put fencing up

or work for the farmers. They went and did tatty hokeing they called

it, picking. Dad was working all the time in Scotland and sending

money home. We were like everybody else in you'rery Donegal. Nobody

had anymore than anybody else. # When I am down

# And so, so weary # As a young boy, what part did music

and God play in your life? At first, singing - the first singing I

suppose I got to do was hymns. A lot of singers would say that

especially in country music in America, so the two went kind of

hand in hand. And your religious faith was just there, was with you.

You just grew alongside it? It didn't hit you... No. As a

revelation? I was born into the Catholic faith, and growing up, it

was - you wouldn't just question anything about it because we were

in a small community. You sort of followed one another, so everybody

went to mass, and if you would even think about not going, somebody

would probably see you and say you weren't there, so you just went.

The Catholic Church was an important part of their community

and gave Daniel a sense of belonging, something that was very

important to him when tragedy struck the family in 1968. His

father, Francis, had a heart attack, aged just 49. Your father died

quite young, didn't he? Yes. I was six-and-a-half when my father died.

I suppose I remember more about his death than I do about his life. We

had the wake in the house, so I can remember going into the room and

seeing him lying in the coffin and looking in, you know, trying to see

over. Did it scare you? No. I can't remember having a - you know, scary

feeling. Maybe we were used to it. I don't know, because every house

had wakes, and children would go in and out. It wasn't like children

wouldn't see this. Death was the next part of life, you know? That's

something we've lost now, isn't it? Well, we still have it, so I

suppose it's a healthy thing. did it affect you? Your elder

brothers and sisters obviously had and have memories of him. Did you

feel that you sort of missed out? don't think that at any - it had

any affect on me. Because I was six, I don't think there was a trauma or

a traumatic effect like the others had, because they knew him better.

I was obviously distraught because the others were, so I was kind of

following. Your mother sounds wonderful. She's still alive, 93,

became mother and father to you. think maybe for a period after my

father died, she was quite distraught, and during the time of

the wake, she was merely not able to function, but long after - maybe

about six months, I think - she really gathered herself, and then

it was, you know, the survival of the fittest then, so she went on,

and that's when she really came into her own, and I never could say

that I wanted for anything. His mum Julia was now a widow with five

children to bring up. Life could have been pretty tough, but singing

talent ran in the family, and Daniel's older sister Margaret had

become a successful country singer. # His name I will not mention

# In old Ireland he was born # I had recorded a song called The

Bonny Irish Boy. When it was released, it got a lot of airplay

and became sort of a bubbling-under hit. And then I was approached by a

Dublin promoter. I was offered �100 a week in 1968, a car on the road

and a driver. I was sort of the breadwinner, and I was able to take

care of the family. Margaret or Margo, as she's known in the music

business, had been singing as long as I could remember. This was your

big sister. My older sister. I don't remember her not singing, so

because of that, music was always in our house. She was huge in

Ireland, and he would have had that background of country music and

just loved it. It was what made him feel good I suppose. We were all

listening to Kung Foo Fighting in the '70s or whatever. Daniel was

listening to the country. That's what did it for him, if you like.

# Everybody was Kung Foo Fighting # I can remember sitting in the

science class singing before the teacher came in. What would you

sing? Oh, whatever. It wasn't the music of the day because I was more

into the country and the Irish, but the girls used to listen and get me

to sing, and sure, I was always happy to chime away. So were you

more popular then with the groups of the girls than with the boys?

yes, definitely. Nothing's changed. Well -

LAUGHTER Some of the girls are older now

that I'm popular, but - After finishing secondary school

Daniel took a summer job in Dublin and the hotel kitchens became his

Main Stage. We went to the Central Hotel today to see where you were

when you were washing up. Oh, my goodness. When were you there?

was from in 1980. I had finished school in Donegal and my brother

was the head chef. I probably wouldn't even have got the job.

People think washing dishs would be an awful job, but it was a really

good summer in my life. I suppose maybe it was the first time that I

had spent any time away from home. I lived with my brother, so he was

here, him and his wife and their family, so a great time. Some

people say they have a certainty that they knew something big and

important was going to happen in their lives did. You have that

feeling? I don't know that I had a feeling that you know, I'm going to

do something amazing. I didn't even know I would be a singer. I had

that thought in the back of my mind, but maybe the clever part of me

thought I should go to college. Daniel went off to do a course in

business studies, but he realised it wasn't for him and he confided

in his sister. He looked at me and he said, "Margaret, I'm not going

back to college after Christmas." I said, "Why in" he says, "I want to

sing." Soy says, "How about you go home and we'll talk about it

again?" But he sent me a Christmas card that year and he wrote on the

Christmas card, "Don't forget what I said to you in Galloway. I want

to sing" and underlined he had the word no. I talked with my mam. She

said, "Have you a place in the band for him? I said, "No, he can't play

anything. # Oh Donegal I miss you

# And I will never understand # Margo agreed to give him a place in

the band. But there was a small draw-back. I was supposed to play

the guitar but I couldn't play. He a guitar. I strummed away, two or

three keys, irrespective of what key the song was in. I thought if I

learn the guitar, I might never get out front. That was the thought.

it would hold you back? Yes. I didn't just want to be in a band. I

wanted to be out front. Did your sister let you go out front?

did. I would sing maybe four or five songs a night. But not enough

for you? At that period enough. I suppose it was a good period,

because it allowed me, it was kind of like an apprenticeship. I was

able to observe the music business and see pretty much immediately

that there was nothing about it that I needed to be involved in

that I wouldn't enjoy. After a couple of years of touring with his

sister Daniel felt ready to step out into the spotlight on his own.

# Oh I know it's not right reminiscing tonight #

My first record I made in 1983. It was a song called My Donegal Shore

on one side and Stand Beside Me on the other. It was �600 to record

and �600 to get 1,000 45 records, as it was. Did you have them in

your bag and go around selling them yourself? I did. I sold them for

�1.50. So you recouped the money. recouped the money, yes. I always

said if you were a friend I got it for, they got it for �1. But I sold

it anywhere I could. We used to go to Knock. I don't know if you are

farm with Knock. It's a Catholic shrine with Our Lady appeared many

years ago. We used to make up a bus. I went and sold them. I sang

through the mic on the bus. I had my record with me in 1983 and I

sold them to everybody. I suppose that was the beginning. Daniel's

dream of becoming a singer was now on track and along with a few

friends he formed his own band. those days show bands were the big

thing in Ireland. They were massive. People don't realise that they

would play in halls that had 2,000 people dancing away. And Daniel

would have grown up with his sister, Margo, in that framework. It was

all show bands and big success, so a lot of people within the

framework of Ireland were very successful this those days.

first band was called Country Fever. It was four local fellas involved

in it with himself. It was all Country and Irish. It was something

I suppose Daniel was into himself. He had been singing Country and

Irish songs from an early age, so something that he wanted to do.

Although the Irish dance hall scene was popular, Daniel and his band

were struggling. Most of the places we went then you would just get a

very small fee or occasionally you would get the door. That wasn't

literally the door off the hinges. Whichever was taken on the door you

would get it and the place would get the bar money. They didn't get

much bar money when we were there. The crowds were very small. Over a

period of 18 months, they toured from Donegal to Dublin, and fluid

ex-pat audiences in Irish clubs over in the UK. But success eluded

them. In 1985, 1986, on New Year's Eve, a terrific night for dances,

we were doing a dance in Cavan town in a hotel called the Farnham Arms

and we got 32 people on a New Year's Eve. I thought we couldn't

continue, as there was nothing working. I had no money. My friends

were being established in careers, that I went to school with, and

here was I with literally no money and no sign of anything getting

better. Daniel realise realised if he was to be successful he would

need help. Numerous managers told him they weren't interested in

taking him on, that he wouldn't last six months. He still believed.

He it won't the various record labels. They all turned him down.

Eventually he did find a manager and a record company, but they made

him take some difficult decisions. I'm interested in you having to say

goodbye to some of the band members. Yes, some of them... That was tough.

Yes it was tough, but I suppose maybe that's where that

determination was in me. Even though I'm very, I'm a very calm

individual. I'm not a pushy person. Yet I had this determination and

drive. I almost look back and wonder did I have it? But I must

have had it. # I close my eyes and picture the

emerald of the sea # With a new band behind him, things

began to take off, and soon he was packing them in. He stuck to his

guns, he didn't change his image, didn't change his material, and he

became successful. # The river Shannon and the folks...

I think he owes an awful lot of his success to the way the English and

the Scots and of course the Irish over there, the emigrants who were

away, took him into their hearts. They really did. And then I always

say if you make it away from home and you come back, you know they

are nosey. A lot of people went out of knowsiness and were absolutely

bombed. # They have going to put me in the

movies # They are going to make a big star

out of me. # Daniel's popularity grew. He became

Ireland's favourite Country artist. He won awards and had TV

appearances in the UK. # No that I've found you

# I will be counting on you # But he was about too pay the price

of his success. He was working day and night. He had no life out of

show business. He lived out of a suitcase. It was from the car to

the hotel, to the venue and back to the hotel. He didn't have any other

existence outside of it. He loved it, but he was not realising what

he was doing. He was on burnout. you've given so much of yourself

over those last few years of the '80s, not just on stage but to your

fans. And then in 1991 you have talked quite candidly about a big...

Well, like a meltdown really that you had. You just hit a wall.

Everything I was asked to do I did it, if it, if somebody asked me to

come and open an envelope I would have gone and opened it for them. I

opened places and I closed places. Whatever, if it was something in

the morning and in the afternoon and sing at night. No matter who

you are, if you continually do, do, do, something, you cannot keep

going. I didn't know. Was it a kind of illness, do you think? Was it a

kind of depression? Was it just exhaustion? I don't think it was a

depression. I think it was just exhaustion. Something guiding you

saying, "Stop!" and then I realised then, and I'm still learning this

word "no". 20 years plus later. The reason that I did it is I thought I

owed it, because I was so lucky to have the success. That I owed it to

do these things for people. You need to realise that if you are

nothing to yourself, you can't be anything to anybody else. Daniel

lost his voice and was forced to cancel concerts. He feared his

career may be over. He didn't just seek medical help. He also turned

to his faith. I remember saying, "Well, God, obviously whatever this

is, if I am meant to sing, let me sing" and I said, "If I'm not meant

to sing, let me do whatever this thing is that I'm supposed to do."

You dabbled in a bit of spiritual help and healing. I think it was a

nun who wrote to you and said you must go and see Father... Father

Rookie. Father Rookie was a charismatic priest who in his

services people would fall to the ground when he touched them.

heard Father Rookie on the radio here. I thought, I would love to go

and see that person. I eventually got to, we went to England. He was

having a service there. I went and got a blessing. And yes I did, they

call it falling in the spirit. you fell, what do you feel? It is

like you can't stay up. It was like somebody knocked you down, but

nobody did knock you down. You kind of lose... It is not like fainting

but you kind of lose your... Strength. You are not just sure. It

is not a minute, I don't think. It is only... In my case I don't know

how long it is. I got a blessing from Father Rookie and that was

that day. Slowly Daniel's health began to improve and then one day

he awoke and felt that something had changed. I stepped out of the

bed and this thought entered my head, "I feel better today." Now, I

don't mean physically better. I felt more, I felt lighter, and that

was the beginning of my recovery. I can't tell you what that is, what

it was, was it Father Rookie? Was it me? Was it God? It was a

combination of all these things that brought me to feel better that

# In His light # You'll never walk alone

# Always feel at home # Wherever you may roam #

This experience was to have an enduring effect on Daniel's life

and particularly on his pre- performance routine. The nun who

put you in touch with Father Rookie also sent you a prayer which you

use now before each show? You know, it's a miracle prayer. It's

actually Father Rookie's prayer. it? And I just started to - I say

it every day, and then the day I am doing a show, I say it just before

the show, and people will say, "Why do you do that? But I just do. I

feel it just helps me, you know? # I can see clearly now the rain is

gone # It was in 1992 after a three-month

break that Daniel felt ready to sing again. He staged his come-back

concert at one of the largest venues in Ireland, the Point

Theatre in Dublin. It's a venue where all the major artists have

performed before him, everyone from AC/DC to James Brown to Cliff

Richard to Rod Stewart - they all played The Point, so this was a

huge comeback for Daniel. He was very, very nervous. He really was.

Somebody said that night - you know, "When are you coming here?" It was

like, how dare you, you know, make fun of me like that?! Anyway, I am

here now, almost there. It was to be his biggest concert yet in front

of almost 10,000 people. # The two of us together

# When we met # We stand at heaven's door

It was fantastic. It was just a great night, and he didn't need

stage lights that night, just a big beaming smile on his face lit up

the stage because his career was back on track, but now it was in a

completely new, different sphere, on a different level. He was moving

up a notch, and the funny thing about that night was that normally

after an artist finishes a show at The Point, the artist leaves the

venue immediately and is gone before the crowd is actually

walking out. In Daniel's case, he came out, and he did what he always

did - he met each and every member of the audience who wanted to meet

him. I think it went on until about 4.00am. Often crises brings

something fabulous, don't they? You squeeze through the neck of a

bottle and come out into sunshine. It's quite incredible when you look

back to think that was a bad time, but yet it made a good time.

# I want to dance with you # Twirl you all around the floor

# That's what dancing is for # He was back on top in Ireland.

Daniel proved he had the popularity to sell out Irish concert halls. He

wanted to achieve success elsewhere, so with his next single, he tried a

slightly different style of music. # I just want to dance with you #

He went into the top ten in the British charts. That twisted his

career because he realised then if you get the right song, even though

you had that folksy Irish background and perception, you

could actually make it in the charts. He was thrilled. Can you

imagine, when he was on Top of the Pops - oh, my goodness. Did whole

of Donegal came to a standstill. was the early '90 when the charts

were dominated by rave music and Manchester rock bands, but Daniel

broke through with his own style of pop.

Daniel O'Donnell, the king of the country charts, has popped up at

# Be too shy # Way too late

# I don't care what they say # Other lovers do

# I just want to dance with you # For us, it was to think, we know a

person who is now the Top Of The Pops in Britain, you know, and you

were phoning them up, and you were talking about completely ordinary

stuff the following day. He never, you know, changed in our view, I

suppose. He was still the boy from He even behaved like the boy from

down the road and invited the fans around to his house in Kincasslagh.

You used to open your house up and have people to come around. If

people would knock on the door, you used to say, "Come in. Have a cup

of tea." We did that without thinking. This was in the late '80s.

I at that time was doing shows at the Mary From Dungloe Festival,

which is a festival that takes place in Dungloe six miles from our

home, and a lot of people came to see where the house was - where I

came from, and they spoke to my mother and my sister if they was

there, and they said I was away. I found out. That night, I said, "I

know some of you came to visit today." I said, "I don't like to

take a lot on the day of a show because I like my voice to be good

and fresh for the show," so I won't be there tomorrow either because of

that. "But if you want to come on Wednesday about 3.00pm, if you're

still about, I'll make a point to being there." Jokingly I said, "We

might get a cup of tea." How many turned up? Well, there was hundreds

there that day. # There is a little country college

in Donegal # Daniel's tea party became an annual

event, attracting people from all over the world. Where have you come

from today? From Brisbane, Australia. Especially to see

Daniel? That's right. He must mean an awful lot to you. He does. We

just love you in Australia. He gave me a kiss.

REPORTER: He did not. He did. REPORTER: Do you fancy him? I do.

It has been a very good day. I don't know if you have met my

sister properly, but I think I should introduce her to you. This

is Margaret, who introduced me to the music business. It's great for

us to be at home with so many people. It's kind of strange in a

way. It's hard to understand why they're all here, but we're pleased

they're all here. # Daniel put the kettle on

# We're coming in for tea # We did that for a number of years,

and, you know - in the end, there were so many people. I remember one

day in particular - probably the last time - there was Sky News.

There was local news. There was this news. There was this radio

show. There were so many people that I was literally meeting a

fraction, so it sort of outgrew the reason for doing it, and then we

decided we wouldn't do it anymore. # We're coming in for tea #

But not everyone is a fan. Some people consider him too safe and

old-fashioned. Comedians in the press enjoyed having a dig. Daniel

has had his critics through the years. On the face of it, he was

extremely boring. He liked his mother. He liked his cup of tea. He

was extremely well-groomed. Us journalists - and I am a journalist

myself - we like our stars to be dirty, rock 'n' roll guys who are

outrageous who we can write about. Daniel was none of that. There was

a time very early on when he was exceptionally shy - you wouldn't

get that many words out of Daniel. You'd get the plug or get the

record. We wouldn't get much more. In a way, I think the chat

programme he did - I think that was the turning point for him because

he gave her as good as he got, and people saw him in a different light.

They saw him in a slightly different mood as well. It was a

new Daniel. You please so many people with your golden tonsils.

Well, thank you. Do I do something for you? Yes, more than Clement

James. Do you know how people remember where they were when JFK

was shot? Well, we all remember where we were when we first heard

you sing. Where were you? I was in the home with one of your records

on. Where were you, Ann? I was listening to Songs of Praise, and

you sang, didn't you? Was that recently? Yes, just before

Christmas, yes. So you have been a fan all your life, Ann?

LAUGHTER # Never had this feeling before #

For year, he devoted himself to his fans. They were his first love, and

that's how many of them liked it, but a holiday in Tenerife changed

all of that. You remained a single man for long enough for some people

to have fond fantasies of maybe you would come into their lives on a

white horse, and then you met Majella. I was allergic to horses.

Maybe that's why. LAUGHTER

I met Majella, yes. You met Majella, and you started a friendship very

quickly. Tell me about how you met her. Well, you know, I was in my

late 30s when I met Majella. It was 1999, so I would have been 37,

nearly 38, and I have to be honest and say I was very content in my

situation. I wasn't lonely. I wasn't searching. I wasn't -

anything. But I went to Tenerife. I had known her parents because they

had a bar at that time in Tenerife. The first night that, you know,

Daniel was in the bar and I met him, we hit it off really, really well,

and he kind of suggested - he was with some friends, and he said,

"You know, we're going out tomorrow night. Would you like to come with

us?" I said, "Oh, where are you going?" He said, "We're going to

Veronica's", which is a real club part of Tenerife, the clubbing

scene and everything. And I literally thought Daniel O'Donnell

in Veronica's? This I have got to see. And I had never been - we're

talking about something that starts at 1.00am in the morning and goes

on until 5.00am or 6.00am and loud, thumping music. I thought, this is

interesting, so yeah, yeah, I would love to come along, you know? He

just surprised me, I suppose. I just didn't think he had that life

in him. The friendship grew, and the couple spent more and more time

together. There hadn't really been any romance at that stage? There

was. There was a wee bit, yeah. bit of kissing? We were in our 30s,

you know? Well, I'm just checking it out. But the happiness didn't

last. Majella had two children from a previous marriage and was

divorced. This caused a moral dilemma for Daniel because he knew

he couldn't marry a divorcee in a Catholic Church.

Because she had been married and divorced, and it was against your...

It was against my religion at the time. I thought about this thing of

Majella being married and children and all, and I thought, well, maybe

it's time to not go any further with this. I remember he - he

brought me around to his apartment to tell me, and, of course, I felt

like on the wrong territory as well. When he said it, the first thing I

wanted to do was just to get out quick. I just didn't want to be

there anymore. Of course, Daniel was very polite. "No, no, stay. I

want us to be friends" and all the rest. I was like, "Yeah, I don't

mind being friends," but I thought, right now I just need to go. I just

thought, what a shame. What a shame. After a few months of separation,

Daniel began to question his decision. One night I remember most

was at Mama Mia, and I was sitting up on my own - because I love ABBA,

love ABBA, and I was on my own looking down and - and I thought,

Majella would just love this. And I sat back, and I said to myself,

this is not the first time Majella has come into your head. Why are

you thinking she'd love this and love that? Majella, this, Majella,

that? So I think that was when I made my decision. Came to your

senses? Maybe. There's a reason this is pushed into my head, and

all things can be sorted out. If I'm meant to be with somebody

that's married, I'm obviously meant to be with somebody that's married,

so we got back together. # The winner takes it all #

The relationship grew, and Daniel was keen to take it to the next

stage and get married. Daniel as a member of the Catholic Church

wanted to get married in church, and always his dream was to marry

in his local church in Kincasslagh. Majella being a divorcee, this

Majella would have to apply for her marriage to be annulled. If granted

this, would mean Majella and Daniel would be free to marry in church.

Daniel's faith always has been very important to him. I know he jumped

through hoops to make sure that because Majella had been married

before, that he would be allowed to get married in his church in

Donegal. He really went the full mile for that to make sure that

would happen. After a tense wait, the annulment

was granted. I would say I was more delighted

for Daniel than Daniel was for himself, because I knew how

important it was to him to be blessed in the eyes of God in the

Catholic Church. We would have been together but it would always have

been, there would always have been a little sorrow in his heart if he

hadn't been able to have God's blessing. How important was that to

you? It was important to me, but I don't think I would not have, I

think we would have stayed together anyway. I don't think that we

should expect the Church to change all rules to accept everybody, but

I do think that the Church needs to be more accepting and it needs to

be a broader Church, even though I'm a part. I'm very much am

Catholic. But love is love. Love is love and God is love. Exactly.

you have to, you know - things are never black and white. Did you keep

the news of Majella and your impending marriage from the fans?

Or did they know? Initially we did And what it was reaction, all

positive? Oh yes. All positive, there's always a few that would

disagree with it and you would get letters from people saying that,

"Oh, she's married and she's divorced "but we had got over that.

And most of them letters, in fact all of them were unsigned. Any

letter you get is not signed is not worth dealing with.

The big day came on 4th November 2002, and there supporting him was

his old schoolfriend and first band member. I went down to his house

that morning. I did the normal stuff that I suppose every best man

would do, the things that you are supposed to look after and sort out

on the morning. It was all very normal stuff. We thought in the

morning in the house, it was only when we got to the chapel that

there were so many TV crews. So many people. This was not going to

be any ordinary affair. 500 people at the wedding. 40 of the guests

were mine and 460 were from Daniel. I asked Daniel if he would sing a

song, You By My Side, and the words are beautiful.

# I never thought I would see this day, your friends and my family

smiling." I said, I would love tow sing that. He said no, it is my

wedding day and I'm not singing. The communion started and he leaned

over and said, "I need to go to the toilet." I thought, "Oh, my God, go

on then, quick." This ripple of laughter started when people

realised. I started to look around and the next thing...

# With you by my side # That's how I see us #

I went into floods of tears. I could nearly cry now. It was so, I

so didn't expect it. APPLAUSE Daniel gave imagine Madge a fairy-

tale wedding and in return she's given his image a make-over.

think Majella has sharpened him up. I'm not saying he was always the

Irish boy at heart, but she's made him a lot more suave than he used

to be. She makes him shop for suits in America when they visit there.

She makes sure he is styled correctly. His stage presence is

much better simply because of Majella.

Daniel has brought that new confidence to tours of Canada,

Australia and especially America. # To my heroes as they sang my

favourite song # Feted love and I still miss

someone # He has become a favourite on TV

channels over there with his Irish charm going down well.

# I wonder what it would be like to be a country star #

He has been extremely successful in the last several years. People

would turn on their telly in the morning and see Daniel and turn on

their fellly in the evening and see Daniel. Gradually they got to know

him. To the extent he became something of a superstar. He now

works every year in Branson Missouri in a theatre there. The

beauty of that is that Daniel doesn't have to tour the States,

which is very time-consuming. People come to him.

# O Lord my God # When I in awesome wonder

# Consider all... # We take the fan there is for a week,

we take in five shows for him. Branson itself, it is quaint, it is

unique. It is a small town on the 65 South and it has a population of

3,600 people. Believe it or not it has 7 million visitor as year. It's

a country music Mecca. There are 42 theatres, 97 hotels, so all the big

stars go and take theatres in Branson Missouri. Daniel has the

record for his shows in Branson of having I think it is 44 or 45

coach-loads go to his show. That's the record of coaches attending.

And now so many years later, Daniel O'Donnell is the number one artist

One of the things that goes with stardom is your very own place of

pilgrimage for the fans. Just as Elvis has Graceland, Dolly Parton

has Doyle wood, now Daniel has his visitors' centre in Donegal.

were looking at all the different bits of memorabilia. I said, what

are you going to do with this? He said, I don't really know. I said

open up a visitor centre, he said, do you think anybody would come and

see it? I said, of course they would. Fans can glimpse into his

childhood and inspect his earlier attempts at writing. Many pride of

place is his MBE, presented to him in Dublin by Prince Charles. And

perhaps the most popular exhibit is Majella's wedding dress. His whole

life is laid out for all to see. He's even been known to drop in

occasionally himself. See this picture here? This is when I'm

young, and then airbrushing started. So this is without the airbrushing

and then as you go down the line, there's no lines at all! I said to

them, stop that airbrushing. expected 5,000 people in the first

year. We still have a couple of weeks to run, but to date we have

just tipped over the 10,000 people it has been very popular. Very,

very popular. Daniel's popularity has grown

through the decades this. Year he is celebrate a singing career which

has spanned 30 years. He's sold over 10 million albums and is now a

millionaire, but he doesn't take any of it for granted. I'm very

lucky to have been age to have a very comfortable life. So I'm very

grateful for the life that I have had. Just always aware of that. I

think that's important. So the money that you earn, you are not

mean, I know, that you are very generous, but you understand the

value of it? I think it has all to do with being brought up where I

was and not always having money. Before I started being successful,

I really had no money. So I think you always, you're always aware and

respectful of that. And you're a man who enjoys a bargain? I love a

bargain. I would rather get something op a sale than pay the

full whack. I'm always looking for the two or one. You're talking

about cheapest, if you can get it two for one, take it, even if you

don't need it at the time. When he's not out shopping for bargains

or on tour, Daniel heads home to don gaffe. It is where he and

Majella look forward to spending their time together, especially at

Is Christmas important to you? love Christmas, love it. I love

Christmas trees and decorations. Love, I love the Mass at Christmas.

You get to sing in the choir. I love that whole thing, and our

chapel is beautiful. It's very special. Every Christmas since

Daniel was a boy he has sang on Christmas Eve in midnight Mass in

his church at home. # All across the land dawn as

brand-new morn # This comes to pass

# When a child is born # But he has always sang and it is

really important. It's a real tradition, we go to midnight Mass,

he sings, we go back to his sister's house. We have soup and

sandwiches, every single year. lot of people think Christmas is

overcommercialised and the religious means has disappeared.

Can you still sift through the tinsel to get that? I think so.

Sure it is commercialised but when you strip it all down, even if

you're giving presents, whether we are big or small, you're giving

them. That's giving to somebody. You're giving to somebody. The

closest we are going to get to God on this earth is the person we meet

next. So when you give, that's who you're giving to really. What's

your best present that Majella has given you? I think herself more

than anything. Good answer. What we have together is priceless. Daniel,

happy Christmas. Thank you very much. It's been lovely. Thank you

very much. It's a pleasure. # God be with you till me meet

again # By his counsel's uphold you #

Has meeting him today changed my preconceived ideas you have about

him? Isn't he funny? Isn't he shrewd? And doesn't he have a

fantastic marriage with Majella? And I love his faith. It's sincere,

it has a simplicity and he is open about it. I'm a big Daniel

O'Donnell fan. Next week I meet Dionne Warwick,

music legend and trailblazer for black performers. She talks about

her enduring faith through 50 years in show business.

And how that belief helped her deal with the death of her cousin,

Whitney Houston. It is now at the point where I'm beginning to