“We’re Blessed to Have Met Each Other” – Daniel O’Donnell Reflects on 23 Years of Love with Wife Majella
Irish country music icon Daniel O’Donnell is a man known not just for his soothing vocals and endearing stage presence, but also for his devotion to family — especially his wife, Majella. As the beloved couple prepare to mark their 23rd wedding anniversary this November, Daniel has opened up about the lasting bond they share, and the simple truths that have kept their love strong through decades of life, travel, and music.
Their love story began not in a spotlight or studio, but in the warmth of the Canary Islands. It was in Tenerife, where Majella’s parents ran a local bar, that Daniel first met the woman who would become his life partner. That fateful meeting, he says, was the start of everything.
“It’s about being with the right person and when you meet them,” Daniel shared in an intimate interview with RSVP. “When you know, you know. That’s the big thing. It’s less about it being the right time. When you meet the right person, then you’ll know it.”
The couple married on November 4, 2002, at St. Mary’s Church in Kincasslagh, Co. Donegal — Daniel’s hometown. In the years since, they have not only weathered life’s inevitable challenges but built a life full of affection, mutual respect, and meaningful companionship.
“It’s great, thank God,” he continued. “We’re very lucky. We get on great together. We’re blessed to have met each other when we did.”
At the heart of their enduring marriage, Daniel credits one simple but profound value: respect.
“I think it’s just to respect one another,” he explained. “We were older when we met, so I think that was a big part to play in it. We had our own personalities and our own plan of what we were. You’re individuals along with being a unit.”
Daniel admits that Majella made more adjustments than he did after they married, especially considering the demands of his career. “I continued doing what I was doing,” he said with quiet appreciation. “She supported me fully.”
But their union also brought Daniel blessings he hadn’t expected — most notably, the opportunity to become part of a family already in motion. When he met Majella, her children were just 11 and 9 years old.
“That’s something that I probably would have missed out on,” he said. “While I’m not their father, I’m very much part of their lives.”
Today, Daniel beams when he speaks of his grandchildren, whose energy and humor bring joy into their Donegal home.
“They’re taking piano lessons,” he laughed, “but I don’t think that they’re too interested in it.”
He shared some of their latest dreams and ambitions. “Archie wants to be a policeman. Olivia wants to be a baker. She wants something that you can make a lot of money at but she doesn’t have to do much work. I said, ‘Baking is very hard work, Olivia.’”
With his signature warmth and gentle humor, Daniel’s reflections are a reminder that even amid fame and public life, it’s the personal connections — the dinners around the table, the grandchildren’s ambitions, the quiet shared glances — that hold the deepest value.
As he and Majella approach their 23rd wedding anniversary, it’s clear that their love story, grounded in sincerity and mutual respect, is still going strong.
“It’s been a gift,” he said. “And we don’t take it for granted.”