Margo O’Donnell Says Hurtful Rumours About Brother Daniel Caused Pain for Their Mother
Irish country music star Margo O’Donnell has spoken candidly about a long-standing rumour that caused deep upset within her family, revealing that false claims about her being the mother of her younger brother, Daniel O’Donnell, left their late mother “very hurt.”Appearing on RTÉ One’s Keys to My Life, hosted by Brendan Courtney, the 68-year-old singer reflected on the speculation that followed her and Daniel throughout their careers. The baseless rumour claimed that Daniel was not her brother but her son — something Margo dismissed with humour, noting that she would have been only 10 years old at the time of his birth.
“They were saying things about me being Daniel’s mother. I would have been ten when I had him!” Margo said during the programme. Daniel, sitting alongside her, laughed and added, “We’d have been in the circus, the two of us then.”While both siblings could find humour in the absurdity of the claim, Margo admitted the gossip took a toll on their mother, Julia. “It didn’t hurt us, but it did hurt Mam,” she said quietly.The episode saw Margo revisit important places from her past, including the Fisherman’s Cottage in Kincasslagh, where she and Daniel grew up, and the home they shared in Ballinteer, Dublin, during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Daniel made a surprise appearance to join his sister on the nostalgic journey.
Margo, who rose to fame in the 1960s as a teenage “child star” in the Irish showband scene, also used the programme as an opportunity to open up about her personal struggles with addiction. She revealed that she turned to alcohol and prescription drugs in the 1970s to cope with severe stage fright — a habit that would eventually become a serious dependency.
“I started drinking in 1974 and, from the very first drink, I was an alcoholic,” she admitted. “I had a fear of the stage and I thought I’d found my crutch. There was always a reason for lifting the glass until there was no reason — and it was either the glass or me.”Her reliance on prescription medication, she explained, developed alongside her drinking. At the height of her addiction, Margo said she was self-medicating to get through performances, social events, and the pressures of fame. She credits her recovery to seeking professional help and finding healthier ways to manage anxiety.
Margo and Daniel O’Donnell remain two of the most recognisable names in Irish country music, with careers that span decades and a fan base stretching far beyond Ireland. Daniel, now 62, has often spoken warmly of his sister’s influence on his life and career, crediting her with inspiring him to pursue music.Despite the challenges of fame — from tabloid speculation to online scams that have recently used Daniel’s name without his consent — the siblings have maintained a close bond. Both have been open about the importance of family and the values instilled by their parents, which they say helped them weather difficult times.
Reflecting on the rumour that once swirled around them, Margo stressed that while she and Daniel could laugh about it, the pain it caused their mother was something she never forgot. “It was a silly thing, but it’s amazing how gossip can travel and how it can hurt someone who did nothing to deserve it,” she said.
For Margo, telling her story on Keys to My Life was about more than setting the record straight — it was an opportunity to look back with honesty, to acknowledge the hardships as well as the joys, and to celebrate the resilience of her family.