EMOTIONAL DANIEL O’DONNELL SINGS AT FUNERAL OF LONGTIME BANDMATE RONNIE KENNEDY
The Irish music community gathered in sorrow on Wednesday as Daniel O’Donnell paid a deeply emotional tribute to his close friend and bandmate Ronnie Kennedy, who passed away last Friday after a long battle with cancer. Kennedy, who played accordion and keyboards alongside O’Donnell for more than three decades, was remembered not only as a gifted musician but as a kind and generous man whose presence touched countless lives.
During the funeral service, O’Donnell sang several heartfelt hymns and ballads, including In the Garden, Remember Me, Rainbow’s End, and The Rare Ould Times. Each performance was filled with emotion, and mourners described the singer’s voice as trembling with grief yet carrying the deep affection and respect he held for his friend. “It was Daniel’s way of saying goodbye,” one attendee remarked. “You could hear the love and the pain in every note.”
O’Donnell had earlier shared the news of Ronnie’s passing with fans on Facebook. “It is with great sadness that I write this message. To let you know that my good friend Ronnie Kennedy passed away this morning. RIP,” he wrote. “Ronnie had been ill for some time and his wife Fran and all his family wanted me to thank you for your prayers during this time. As you know Ronnie was part of my band for over 30 years. We shared some wonderful times together and I have great memories of all the many things we did.”
The Donegal star went on to express his gratitude for being able to say a final farewell: “I am very grateful that I got to spend some precious time with Ronnie last Friday to say goodbye. Our loss is heaven’s gain. There will be great music and laughter in heaven now that Ronnie is there.”
O’Donnell extended his sympathies to Kennedy’s family, including his wife Fran, their children Alan, Karen, Gary, Derek, and Laura, and his grandchildren. “Rest in peace, ‘Grandad,’” he concluded.
The funeral was marked not only by music but also by poignant tributes from Ronnie’s family. His son delivered an emotional eulogy, remembering his father as both an extraordinary musician and an even greater man. “Ronnie, as we all know, is an incredibly gifted musician,” he said. “But our dad was an even more brilliant person than he was an artist. He was a positive person for sure, and Dad lived by the principle of kindness and generosity and always went out of his way to make people feel better.”
He recalled his father’s constant positivity, his habit of complimenting others, and his simple but heartfelt expressions of gratitude. “To say please, ah thanks, or he or she is lovely — nobody did it as much as he did. Even when dying in his last few days, when talking to the wonderful carers, all he repeatedly said to them was, ‘I’m dead on.’”
Friends and colleagues also spoke of Ronnie’s humour, his ability to bring warmth to any room, and the countless memories forged on stage and on the road. For O’Donnell, the loss is a personal one — the end of a musical partnership that spanned more than 30 years and countless performances across Ireland and beyond.
As the final notes of the service faded, those gathered were left with the memory of a man who gave his life to music and to people, leaving behind not only a legacy of songs but of kindness. For Daniel O’Donnell, the farewell was as much about friendship as it was about music — a reminder that behind every great band is a bond of family, forged in years of laughter, travel, and shared dreams.