Daniel O’Donnell surprised the family of his longtime fan Margaret McCarthy this week by singing at her funeral.
The Irish crooner shocked mourners on Wednesday, when he sang over the phone at her graveside.
Margaret’s family had initially planned to play Daniel’s song, Beyond The Rainbows End, at her grave, as it was one of her favourite records.
But after a family member reached out to Daniel about posting a condolence message online, he decided to plan something special for her funeral.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Margaret’s daughter Ann Phayer recalled the “wonderful” moment.
Ann explained: “I was sorting out the readings and the prayers and everything for the funeral and I just said to my brothers, ‘make sure that at the graveside you have the right recording. It’s Beyond the Rainbow’s End and I don’t care how you do it, just find a way of playing that at the graveside when the prayers are finished.'”
“I thought they were just going to play it on the phone and put it up to the speakers.”
“We were all just so shocked when the undertaker came over to the microphone and said, ‘Most people have recordings of music they want to play but we actually have Daniel O’Donnell on the phone and he is going to sing for us now.'”
“Oh my God, we couldn’t believe it. My mother had gone down into the ground, the prayers were finished and we were just so, so sad. This really, really gave us a lift.”
“He sang on the phone and the undertaker had the microphone up to it. The speakers were in the graveyard and everybody could hear Daniel singing and it was just absolutely wonderful,” she said.
“Apparently, he had been watching the mass online and he made contact with the undertakers and that is how it happened.”
Ann added: “It was brilliant. We will never forget it, absolutely and he has an awful lot more fans now down here in West Cork.”
Speaking on Newstalk as well this morning, Daniel said: “It was just a privilege to be able to do it.”
“Watching the funeral, I thought, my mother passed away a few years ago and you would do anything for them – anytime through their life, never mind at the end of their days.”
“For the funeral you want it to be the way that they would want it. I suppose, I was thinking maybe it would be something the family would like and I thought if I can make it work, I have to do it.”
