Daniel O'Donnell superfan reveals why the Irish crooner is their 'happy place'

We each are fans of idiosyncratic - it could beryllium a movie prima oregon stone singer, but lone a precise prime fewer of america measurement into existent superfan territory - wherever conscionable watching each their movies oregon buying each their records is simply not enough.

Jacky Orriss, Rachel Barrett and Carol McAvunie are astir decidedly 1 of these peculiar fans. But they are not Swifties oregon Gaga’s Little Monsters. The entity of their fandom is.....Irish crooner Daniel O’Donnell.

Jacky Orriss travelled arsenic acold arsenic the Bahamas for a conscionable and greet and adjacent camped extracurricular successful the acold for 2 nights to drawback up the champion seats to spot her idol perform.

Full-time carer Jacky has adjacent queued to get tickets to spot the County Donegal-born vocalist look connected TV shows Loose Women and Strictly erstwhile helium was a contestant connected the 2015 series.

“A existent item for maine was being capable to be 2 Strictly shows erstwhile helium was dancing. My person and I queued from 2am successful the greeting to get entry.”

The 56-year-old archetypal fell for the state crooner aft accompanying her mum to a performance erstwhile she was 27. She says: “My mum Christine has ever been a immense fan, but I was ne'er bothered. I was much into George Michael. Then 1 clip my mum had tickets to his performance but didn’t person anyone to spell with - truthful I went with her That was it. “

George was out, and Daniel was successful and has been Jacky’s main obsession ever since, acknowledgment to his beauteous dependable and beauteous lyrics.

An added positive is the benefits of the idiosyncratic attraction and appreciation Daniel shows each his fans. Perhaps dissimilar immoderate different artist, helium repays instrumentality loyalty - staying down for hours aft shows to conscionable and chat with concertgoers.

Jacky explains: “He’s truthful lovely. He’ll springiness you a hug and a speedy chat. I ever utilized to get nervous, and I ne'er knew what to accidental to him. But he’s conscionable truthful down to earth, and helium puts you astatine ease. He’s conscionable a genuine person, helium cares truthful overmuch for his fans.

“He’s phoned maine up a fewer times connected peculiar occasions and sent a video connection connected my 50th birthday.”

The 62-year-old vocalist has been joined to woman Majella, 64, since 2002 and Jacky has fixed her seal of support -although she admits immoderate fans were not blessed to spot him successful a relationship.

Jackie told us: “I person met Majella a mates of times. The archetypal was Daniel’s 40th day enactment successful Birmingham, wherever helium invited each his fans and introduced Majella to us.”

She adds: “It’s existent helium mislaid a fewer of his fans aft that! But I deliberation Majella is lovely. She makes him happy, truthful I americium pleased for him.” So overmuch truthful that Jacky acceptable up the Daniel and Majella O’Donnell’s Facebook radical which has implicit 34k followers.

Rachel, 68, from Belfast, has seen Daniel successful performance implicit 1000 times. She calls him her “hobby”.

“My geography improved greatly from going circular the world to spot him.” Most memorable was a travel to Branson, Missouri, wherever helium performed a month-long residency successful Branson, Missouri - she went to spot him for each the dates.

Rachel explains,” My person and I went to each azygous performance for the full month. He didn’t bash Thursday and Sunday truthful we did 5 concerts a week.”

Rachel’s grandchildren, 12-year-old twins Abigail and Jack, are besides large fans - astir recently, she took each 1 to him successful performance connected abstracted nights. “I took Abigail to spot him successful Belfast and Jack the adjacent nighttime astatine the Derry show. Abigail met Daniel afterwards - she was perfectly starstruck.”

Rachel utilized to play Daniel’s euphony to the twins erstwhile they were babies; “They truly loved the gospel songs. It world helped them drift to sleep.”

Now it’s besides the lone mode Rachel gets sleepy: “I spell to slumber with Daniel each night! I ne'er walk 2 songs earlier I autumn asleep; that’s not a snub connected Daniel - that's due to the fact that it’s truthful beauteous and soothing.”

Daniel calls Rachel connected birthdays, and helium besides called to spot however she was erstwhile her lad Paul was successful a car mishap - backmost successful 1997.

The mum of 2 utilized to person a full location of Daniel memorabilia up until a decennary agone erstwhile she and her hubby Richard downsized: " I had to springiness distant a batch of things similar my pictures, cushions with Daniel's wee look connected them. I gave those to immoderate fans successful the US - they were delighted."

Like Jacky, Majella was besides determination erstwhile Daniel introduced to Majella to fans connected his 40th day performance and recalls a fewer fans turning against him: “I retrieve immoderate of them getting up and walking retired aft helium brought Majella connected stage. It conscionable proved they were not truly fans. That was Daniel’s happiness. I conscionable thought silly women - if helium hasn’t joined you now, helium ne'er is!”

Rachel has nary contented with Daniel’s happiness, arsenic helium brings truthful overmuch to her life.

She says: “I cognize immoderate radical don’t recognize it, but I don’t recognize it. Daniel is my blessed place, you spell there, and you conscionable person a ball, and you speech to everybody.”

Carol, 61, from Dublin, became a superfan 31 years ago, and since then, she has averaged 2 concerts a year.

She says: “I archetypal saw him connected TV -at the time, helium was a caller up-and-coming prima - helium had the voice, helium had the look. Daniel had it all.”

The archetypal clip she went to spot him, she was accompanied by her grandma Kitty, parent Kay and her past three-year-old girl Anita.

Carol recalls: “There were 4 generations of us, and we kept the performance going arsenic if it were a household affair. Daniel took Anita up connected signifier with him. I’ll ne'er hide it."

Anita is present 33, but she inactive comes to spot Daniel with her mum and her granny Kay, 85.

Most recently, she took her grandson Jack to spot him - truthful that’s six generations of fandom.“Jack was truthful impressed by him.

For Carol, it extends beyond going to concerts. The grandma has amassed a postulation of memorabilia “ I’ve got the teapots, the cups, the pillow covers, and aprons with Daniel’s look - arsenic good arsenic immoderate of his crystal too!”

Carol, who is besides a regular recipient of Daniel’s day videos, was adjacent invited to a plot beverage enactment astatine his Donegal home.

“He utilized to propulsion those parties for fans each year!” Carol reveals. “I’ve lone been erstwhile and my mum has ne'er been to Donegal.

Carol’s favourite Daniel opus is How Art Thou?

She explains: “It conscionable sends a shiver down my spine each clip I perceive it.”

Carol’s hubby Mick, she says has grown to similar his music. “He has had nary choice,” she laughs.

One happening that these 3 superfans are astir grateful for is being portion of specified a warm, welcoming assemblage of like-minded radical who besides stock their emotion for each things Daniel - and determination is nary danger, they say, that our numbers volition beryllium diminishing anytime soon - acknowledgment to the caller procreation of fans - their grandchildren.

Daniel’s top hits medium ‘Through the Years’ is retired October 4 connected Demon Music and disposable on Amazon and each bully euphony stores. Tickets for his 2025 UK circuit are connected merchantability November 1 astatine danielodonnell.org