Irish Star Daniel O’Donnell should need no introduction. His career has spanned over forty years and he is still going strong!

As of 2021, O’Donnell has had an album in the Official Albums Chart each year for the last 33 years!

Daniel O’Donnell is set to release his latest album How Lucky I Must Be on November 3rd. He will also embark on a tour prior to that in October. Buy tour tickets here!

We spoke to Daniel about the album and more so about the tour. O’Donnell has such a loyal fanbase whom many have supported him since the very beginning of his career. It’s this fanbase and the connection O’Donnell has with them that makes his shows feel special and personal.

Hello Daniel – how are you?

Good, thank you

Are you excited for the release of the new album?

Yes! Looking forward to it now, it’s always nice to put out some new music!

You have already released a couple of songs from it including the title track, what can you tell us about the album as a whole?

Well the album has songs that some were given to me and some that I found, older songs. There’s a good few that are fairly new, given to me by the writers which is lovely! It’s lovely that writers give you the songs because it’s their creation and they see that you can share them with the world so it’s a lovely opportunity for me.

How do you pick a song? Is it hard to choose a certain amount of songs from an album sometimes?

I know pretty much when I hear the song! There are some songs that I love listening to but I would never dream of singing. Then there’s songs that are the type of song I want to sing. All the albums that I have ever made, I just enjoy the songs and I enjoy singing them.

How do you pick what producer to work with?

These last couple of albums I’ve done, I’ve done with two guys that were working with me on the road. David, he has a studio at his house and Kieran still works with me as my manager. We really enjoyed working together, I suppose because they worked with me on the road. They know me very well and that seems to work good for all of us.

How would you describe a typical day in the studio? Are you in and out in a day or two?

Oh I am very quick in the studio haha. I don’t spend days and days and weeks and weeks no! I keep saying that after I do an album, it’s not going to get any better than that, that’s as good as I am going to be haha!

Tell us about the tour – what can fans expect? Obviously new songs.

Yes songs from the new album but I suppose on all tours that I do, I have been recording for over forty years, so we go right from the very beginning to now! Even though I have a new album out, I would never do more than two or three from an album on a tour. I don’t go out and do the whole album on a tour, ever!

Is there a song you are most excited to play live?

I haven’t actually decided what to do off the new album. I could do any of them because I have enjoyed recording them all so I don’t know exactly what I will do from the album on the tour yet.

Is it a strict set list or can it change per show?

It doesn’t stay the same. Of course there’s a thread through it that doesn’t change but there’s always different songs like a song that somebody requests and if we can do them, we do them! The band are great, they are very adaptable. Sometimes I go on a stage and I will say “oh somebody wants to hear such and such song and they just so “ok, we’ll do it” They are very very good, very very talented.

Is there a song that you will always play live?

There’s a number of them yes! Down through the years I have recorded I Want To Dance With You, Stand Beside Me, there’s a lot of them that I would play every night!

Are there any songs that you haven’t played for a while and that you miss playing?

Oh there’s loads of them. You just don’t have the time to do all the songs that you’d like to do. With our show, including a break, it lasts about three hours and even in that time you are always short changed or I am!

What about your favourite song to play? Do you have one?

I love singing the songs that mean something to me. I recorded a song called My Donegal Shore. That was the very first song that I recorded. It’s an Irish ballad-y type of song. That brought me great attention in Ireland. For that reason, that song is special . I Want To Dance With You, songs that go back to that time. It takes me to where I was then and I suppose that’s why I feel I want do them because they are the songs that got me to where I am you know?

You have a great relationship with your fans. Is there anything that you would like to say to them ahead of this tour?

I am very grateful, when I think about how long I have been touring, it’s amazing that it’s forty years. My first UK concert tour was 1987. I can’t tell you how many we have done since. It’s amazing! I love those that are still coming! I have known some for 35 years at least! That’s quite something! There are always people that are coming for the first time, even now! It’s lovely to have the connection with the people. The fact that I have been able to meet the audience after shows, that is what it has done for me. To have that connection and I know some of them, I see people that I know!

I love that! It’s always nice to have that connection especially with loyal fans for years. You recently met Mairin Hughes, she was the oldest lady in Ireland who sadly passes recently. What a joy for her to get to meet you but also what an inspiration she must be, it must have been a lovely meet?

Oh yes! It was lovely! I met her after a launch on Dublin and it was just lovely! She was quite an interesting lady. I was watching the video of her there when she was 109 and she was funny and she was engaging and she was engaged with the people that were with her. Even though she was a great age she had all her wits about her which was lovely. There were a lot of celebrities there for Breast Cancer Ireland’s Very Pink Run and she was obviously a much bigger celebrity than all of us because she had done more than any of us.

What song of yours is a family favourite?

Well the grandchildren love Down at The Lah De Dah. I love the video for Down at The Lah De Dah because it was fun!

Thank you so much for taking the time with me today!

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time!