NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FOOTAGE: Daniel O’Donnell Finally Shares Video of His Mother Singing Before Her Passing — Released on Her Death Anniversary, It Left Fans in Tears 💔🎥
On the anniversary of one of the most painful days of his life, Daniel O’Donnell gave fans a gift they never expected — and one they will never forget.
In a deeply emotional tribute, Daniel released never-before-seen footage of his beloved mother, Julia O’Donnell, singing in her final years — a quiet, powerful moment captured just months before her passing in 2014. The video, which Daniel had kept private for over a decade, was shared publicly for the first time on May 18th — the day Julia passed away, exactly 11 years ago.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be ready to let the world see this,” Daniel admitted in a heartfelt post. “But today felt like the right time. It’s my way of honoring her voice, her strength, and everything she gave me.”
The black-and-white footage shows Julia seated in her cozy Donegal home, gently singing a traditional Irish hymn. Her voice, though aged, carries the purity and warmth that once inspired Daniel to pursue music in the first place. A simple smile crosses her face as she sings — proud, peaceful, unaware that she would one day be remembered around the world through this moment.
“She always sang,” Daniel said. “In the kitchen, in the garden, at the Mass — her voice was part of everything.”
The release of the video has caused an outpouring of emotion online. Fans from Ireland to Australia have been sharing their tears, memories, and stories of their own mothers in response to the touching clip. Many commented that the video made them feel like they knew Julia themselves — not just through Daniel’s words, but now, through her voice.
“I’ve been a fan of Daniel for 30 years,” one commenter wrote, “but I never understood his soul until I heard his mother sing.”
Julia O’Donnell was more than Daniel’s mother — she was his foundation. Widowed when Daniel was just six years old, she raised five children on her own in the small village of Kincasslagh. It was Julia who encouraged Daniel’s love for music, who stood backstage at every early show, and who never missed a single prayer for his success and safety.
Daniel has long credited her with shaping not just his career, but his entire way of being.
“Every note I’ve ever sung, every kindness I’ve ever shown, started with her,” he said.
The video ends with Julia looking directly into the camera — smiling warmly, then glancing down with quiet modesty. No words. Just the lasting echo of her song.
On this solemn anniversary, Daniel chose to mourn not with silence, but with music — her music. And in doing so, he gave the world a piece of the woman who gave him everything.
Julia O’Donnell may be gone,
but through this tender moment,
her voice will never fade.