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'The residents have no visitors' - Daniel O'Donnell entertains Donegal nursing homes

Singer Daniel O'Donnell says Gardaí gave him a letter to allow him to travel to nursing homes ar...
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

11.08 26 May 2020


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'The residents have no visitor...

'The residents have no visitors' - Daniel O'Donnell entertains Donegal nursing homes

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

11.08 26 May 2020


Share this article


Singer Daniel O'Donnell says Gardaí gave him a letter to allow him to travel to nursing homes around Donegal to entertain residents.

Cocooners in community hospitals across the county have been treated to surprise concerts in their gardens during the lockdown.

Daniel told Newstalk Breakfast that the simple idea just came to him one day.

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"I just decided locally I could go up to the hospital in Dunloe, it's only a few miles from us here.

"I was here one day in the house and I said to Majella if I had a wee speaker I would go up and sing a few songs with backing tracks on the phone.

"So I got a wee speaker and went up and went to Gweedore - I phoned the Guards just to see if I was to do that would I be breaking any laws.

"They sent me a letter just to say that the reason I was doing it that it was OK because it was benefiting some people.

"Then I went to a couple of more."

"But sure it's easy for me to do, it breaks up the day for the residents and for the staff too because it's hard on the staff too because the residents have no visitors.

"They're trying to entertain them and motivate them as well as looking after them.

"Ah sure I hope it does some good anyway".

He said all he needs is a microphone with his backing track.

"It's not about all that - as long as people can hear enough to hear the music and a bit of the singing.

"A few songs and they sing along with them, a lot of them they'd know.

"Maybe a half an hour or so - not a long time - it seemed to have gone down well with the people that were in the homes and the staff that were there."

Daniel has also taken to live streaming on Facebook, which has received hundreds of thousands of views.

On this, he explained: "A lot of people are at home with maybe nobody visiting them.

"I was putting up videos and the Facebook Live I suppose is a better way because you're actually there in the present, as opposed to a video".

"I did one last Sunday and I'll do another one next Sunday again about 8.00 in the evening and sing a few songs.

"I have just the backing track sitting on the fire place and off I go."

'The residents have no visitors' - Daniel O'Donnell entertains Donegal nursing homes

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Main image: Daniel O'Donnell is pictured at RTÉ studios in Dublin in 2017. Picture by: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

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Concerts Coronavirus Covid-19 Daniel O'Donnell Donegal Gardai Hospitals Newstalk Breakfast Nursing Homes

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