Daniel O’Donnell Reveals He Once Ended Relationship with Wife Majella Over His Catholic Faith — Before Rekindling Their Love
Daniel O’Donnell has shared that he nearly never married his wife, Majella, due to his strong Catholic beliefs — even breaking up with her before ultimately deciding they were meant to be together. The Irish country music star, now married to Majella for over 20 years, said he struggled with the idea of marrying a divorced woman with two children, feeling it might conflict with his faith.
“In my mind… how would that work?” Daniel admitted. “I thought maybe it wasn’t going to work. It was probably to do with getting married outside of the church. I decided maybe we should part company, and we did.”
The couple first met in Tenerife in 1999, and Daniel said he knew immediately there was “a different feeling” between them. But as much as the chemistry was undeniable, his religious convictions weighed heavily on his decision. It wasn’t until a trip to London that his perspective changed.
Recalling a moment of clarity while attending the West End musical Mamma Mia, Daniel said, “I was sitting there thinking, ‘Majella would love this.’ I remember thinking: ‘Why am I resisting something if it is God-given? It is not given to cause trouble. If God put someone in my life that gives me joy, why would he do that if that is wrong? Life is not black and white.’”
That realisation led him to reconnect with Majella, and just three years after their first meeting, the pair tied the knot in a lavish wedding in Donegal in November 2002. Daniel joked about their guest lists at the time: “I had more guests at it than Majella — she said she had only 40, but she had more than that. I said, ‘Well, you had a go before so you already did it.’”
Today, the couple remains one of Ireland’s most beloved showbiz pairings, their enduring relationship proving that love — and faith — can find harmony.