In a deeply moving reflection, Margo O’Donnell, often hailed as the queen of country and Irish music, has revealed the emotional promise she made to her dying father that ultimately changed the course of her life and career.
As a schoolgirl from Kincasslagh, Co. Donegal, Margo never imagined that her days would go from tattie hoakin’ (potato picking) in Scotland’s fields to selling out shows with riot police on horseback controlling the crowds. At the height of her fame, she was even outselling The Beatles in Ireland — but behind that glittering success lay a story of family, sacrifice, and heartbreak.
On the Sunday World podcast, My Country Life, Margo recounted how at just 13 years old, she started singing with The Keynotes and recorded her first single, “The Bonny Irish Boy,” — a song given to her by her father, Francie O’Donnell, a man who worked tirelessly as a farm labourer in Scotland to support his family.
Tragically, the single’s release date, August 16, was the same day her father fell ill and died, never hearing the song. Margo recalled with tears how her father called her to his bedside that morning:
“Daddy asked me to kneel down by his bed. He cried, and I had never seen my father cry. He said, ‘Margaret, will you promise me that you’ll look after Mam and the wee ones?’”
At just a teenager earning 10 shillings a night, Margo was stunned at the responsibility her father entrusted her with. But he reassured her that she’d be able to do it.
After Francie’s death, Margo’s path was clear: music would be her way to fulfill that promise. Just three weeks later, she released her first single, which soared to number eight on the charts, catching the attention of big promoters in Dublin. They offered her 100 pounds a week, a car, and a driver — a life-changing opportunity for a family that had struggled for every penny.
“I promised my father I would look after Mam and the wee ones, as he said,” Margo shared. “So I left school and I went down the highway of my life in showbusiness.”
That promise carried her through decades of touring, recording, and performing — a life filled with both triumph and challenges. Margo honored that vow not just with money, but with unwavering devotion to her family — including her youngest brother, Daniel O’Donnell, who himself became a household name and has often credited Margo’s early sacrifices for his own success.
As Margo reflected on her mother’s life with Francie, she recalled with deep emotion:
“I heard my mother say one day, ‘I was married to Francie for 22 years when he passed away, and we lived together for 13 months.’”
It was a life built on sacrifice and separation — a legacy Margo carried forward through music.
Today, as fans continue to celebrate her legacy, Margo O’Donnell’s story is a testament to the power of love, family, and the promises that shape our destinies. She’s not just a country music queen — she’s a woman who turned a heartbreak into a lifelong mission to uplift those she loved most.
To hear Margo share her story in her own words, listen now to My Country Life with Eddie Rowley, available wherever you get your podcasts.