Daniel O’Donnell has looked back on 20023 with mixed emotions following the loss of his sister Kathleen.
The singing sensation lost the “matriarch” of the O’Donnell clan suddenly in February.
The Donegal man, who is getting ready to tours Australia and New Zealand in January, is spending Christmas at home.
But as he reflects on the outgoing year, Daniel admitted “It’s not the year that I would have picked.”
After the loss of Kathleen, there was more heartache in September when his manager, legendary country music promoter Kieran Cavanagh, was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
“It’s hard to believe so much has changed in the last year,” Daniel tells the Sunday World. “But there’s nothing you can do, you just have to accept the things that come.
“Kathleen’s death was a huge shock. It’s a massive void in everybody’s life.
“She was such a big figure in the family. She was larger than life, both in the family and in the community too.
“The one thing I was aware of during her wake was the shock that people felt about her passing. She wasn’t old at 67 and she was very involved in lots of things. She had a big character, a big personality,” Daniel told the Sunday World.
Kathleen kept Daniel informed of everything that was going on in the family and local community.
“Now I look up rip.ie and the two local undertakers to keep in touch, and when I hear somebody has died I think immediately, ‘I need to phone Kathleen.’ I was like that with my mother, too. You think of them and you realise in
the same thought that they are no longer here.
“Sometimes when I think of Kathleen I say out loud, ‘I just can’t believe that she’s dead.’ Marion went fairly quickly too, but it was different in that she had dementia. She wasn’t very bad with that and she didn’t have a long illness and we were grateful for that. But it’s still a big loss.
“I went to visit Marion in the Galway nursing home in August when we were there to do a show, and 11 days before she died she was at the painting session in the nursing home. Then all of a sudden she got sick and passed away.
“But all those things… it’s life and you have to try to accept it and adjust to the new normal. There are lots of other families that have had experiences this year that have been terrible for them.”
Daniel tells how his friend and manager, Kieran Cavanagh, has successfully completed the first stage of his treatment for a brain tumour.
“Kieran will be getting more treatment in the New Year and we are all remaining positive that he will have a good outcome,” he says.
“Kieran’s illness has been a huge shock. Kieran did absolutely everything for me career-wise…I did nothing other than sing. But apart from the work, we have a good friendship too and it’s hard seeing him go through such a huge struggle.”
For the full article see https://www.sundayworld.com/showbiz/irish-showbiz/daniel-odonnell-reflects-on-tough-year-following-deaths-of-sister-and-mother-in-law/a519603341.html
