Margo O’Donnell Opens Up: How Not Having Children Led Her Into Darkness, and How Music — and Daniel — Brought Her Back
For decades, Daniel and Margo O’Donnell have been celebrated as Ireland’s musical brother-sister duo — often likened to Donny and Marie Osmond for their shared talent and enduring popularity. Yet behind the stage lights and applause, Margo’s life has carried its own private shadows. In a candid reflection, she has now spoken about the heartbreak of never having children, admitting that the void once drove her into alcohol dependency.
Margo’s career began in the 1960s with her band The Keynotes, a time when Ireland was discovering its voice in showbands and folk music. Her charisma and clear vocals brought her fame, while at home in Donegal, her little brother Daniel was still a boy she thought of almost as her own. “The day he was born in 1961, I was just 10 years old,” she recalled. “I thought of him as my own doll. Mam let me help care for him, and I knew even then there was something very special about him.”
Years later, when Daniel confided that he too wanted to sing, Margo’s first instinct was to protect him. “I wasn’t happy at all,” she admitted. “I said to Mam I didn’t want him to, because I had a rough ride. Not in the music itself, but in the business. It’s a hard life, and I wanted to spare him from that. But if he was going to go down that road, I wanted him with me so I could look out for him.”
That protective instinct was more than justified. While Daniel would go on to enjoy remarkable chart success — breaking through in the UK in 1992 with I Just Want to Dance With You, winning an honorary MBE, and building a loyal fanbase worldwide — Margo’s journey was more turbulent. The loss of their father when he was just 49 was an early blow. Later, Margo struggled with the pain of not having children, a heartbreak she found hard to bear. “I took a drink and went down that dark road,” she admitted with striking honesty. “Am I sorry? No, I’m not sorry, because I came out of it a better person.”
Margo’s candor reveals the contrast between her and her younger brother. Daniel has long been admired for his steadiness, his warmth, and his ability to take life “in his stride.” Margo attributes that resilience to the best qualities of their parents. “Our mother could talk to anyone,” she said. “She was fabulous, she could read people. Daniel has her warmth. He’s always had time to stop, to talk, to care.”
Daniel, for his part, recognizes that while talent is essential, luck and the right people are just as important. “I was very lucky with the people I met,” he reflected. “Mick Clerkin from the record company introduced me to Sean Reilly, who managed me for 30 years. Sean wasn’t ruthless — he looked out for me. Margaret didn’t have someone like that.”
Despite the challenges, the O’Donnell siblings share an unshakable bond, one forged in both triumph and tragedy. The death of their mother in recent years was another difficult chapter, yet it also brought them closer together. Through it all, they remain proud of one another, each acknowledging the other’s strengths and sacrifices.
Today, Margo can look back with gratitude rather than regret. Her struggles with alcohol, while painful, gave her resilience and perspective. Her pride in Daniel’s accomplishments is evident, but just as strong is Daniel’s pride in her — for paving the way, for caring for him when he was young, and for surviving her darkest moments with honesty and courage.
In telling her story, Margo not only sheds light on the private costs of a public career, but also reminds fans of the strength of family ties. For her, not having children may have left a void, but in Daniel — and in the generations of fans who still cherish her music — she has found a legacy all her own.