Majella O’Donnell on Knowing She’d Marry Daniel After Just Two Meetings — and How Her Family Changed His Life
Eighteen years into their marriage, Daniel and Majella O’Donnell remain one of Ireland’s most beloved couples, their bond strengthened by both shared experiences and the blending of their families. Yet, as Majella reveals, their love story had an unexpectedly rocky start — and a twist that has made their life together richer than either could have imagined.
When they first met in September 1999 at her parents’ bar in Tenerife, Majella was a divorced mother of two young children, Siobhan and Michael. While there was an immediate spark, Daniel initially struggled with the idea of entering a relationship with someone who already had a family. “Daniel initially had a problem with the fact that I had been married and had children. It was complicated,” Majella admits. “But now, looking back, he says that the children turned out to be the blessing.”
Today, Daniel fully embraces his role in Majella’s family, forming deep bonds not only with her children but also with their grandchildren, Olivia and Archie. “They’re like his children without all the responsibilities,” she says warmly. From late-night bottle feedings to daily Skype calls, Daniel has been hands-on from the very beginning. “He just loves those children to bits — and they love him right back. It’s magical, it really is.”
At the time they met, Majella knew Daniel was a successful singer but had little grasp of his fame, not being a country music fan. Her first real glimpse came when she attended one of his concerts in London in December 1999. “I was gobsmacked by the reaction of the crowd,” she recalls. “He was an excellent entertainer, no doubt about that.” Though she initially preferred Irish ballads and rock ’n’ roll numbers from his set, her appreciation for his music grew over time.
Despite their growing connection, Daniel’s hesitation led to a temporary cooling-off period. The two stayed in touch, meeting occasionally in Tenerife, until April 2001, when Daniel confessed he was deeply in love with her. From that moment, their relationship flourished.
Looking back, Majella says their differences — “chalk and cheese” as she puts it — have been part of the secret to their enduring marriage. “He pushes the right buttons in me and vice versa. If I’m arguing with Daniel, he’ll defuse it, usually by making me laugh. I found it very easy to be with him.”
By the time they wed in 2002, Majella had no doubt she had made the right choice — a conviction she says she felt as early as their second meeting. “When he went back home after that first week in Tenerife, we wrote and called each other regularly. By the time I saw him again in December, I knew I was going to marry him.”
For Daniel, the relationship has brought not only love but also a ready-made family that he treasures deeply. For Majella, it has been a partnership built on kindness, patience, and a shared sense of humor — the same qualities that have kept their marriage strong nearly two decades on.