SNIPPET: In the Jan-Feb 2000 issue of Dublin's "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine is a several-page article featuring singer Daniel O'DONNELL by Alf McCREARY, writer, author, award-winning journalist who lives in Belfast, with several colorful photos by Brian LYNCH. Per O'DONNELL - "I feel more complete as a person in Donegal than anywhere else the world ... At home, the people are not influenced by what I do. It's no big deal to them, and that's the way it should be." His musical talent, professionalism, and easy-going manner have come together in such a way that he has become outstandingly successful in his chosen profession. Daniel has performed before thousands at London's Wembley Arena, New York's Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House and in many venues along the length and breadth of Ireland, etc. The youngest of five children, Daniel O'DONNELL was born in the early 1960s in the small farming village of Kincassalagh. His parents, both from Donegal, met in the Shetland Islands while working in a fish-gutting factory. Jobs in Donegal were scarce, and his father had to work as a migrant labourer. He died at 49, when Daniel was only six. His mother Julia, a strong woman, raised the family single-handedly. Daniel says, "Although times were hard, I never felt that it was a tough childhood. There was a sense of freedom, amid the beaches and the beauty of the landscape. There was no danger for us as children of Donegal, though we had to be respectful of the sea. We used to cross over to Owey Island for the summer holidays. I had an awareness of the great beauty of the island and of the ocean. Donegal can be very wild and windy, especially in winter-time but it has its own rare beauty, and I loved it in summer. You would wake up, knowing that the promise of a good da! y lay before you. Later on, near the harbour, you could hear the sound of wellington boots on the gravel as the fishermen brought home their catch, and maybe they would give you a wee bit to see how it tasted. At home I remember the crabs roasting over the fire, hanging on a big crook over the burning turf." There was a highly-developed sense of community in Donegal. "There were 'wakes" when a neighbour died, and story-telling by great characters. During my boyhood there was lots of music around. Nearly everyone was able to sing, and there was a great deal of dancing." From an early age he began singing at social events in the village. In his chapel beautiful carols like 'Silent Night,' were sung at Christmas-time, in a wonderful atmosphere with people who had come back 'home' to rediscover their roots. As a young man Daniel worked part-time in a local store, and after passing his Leaving Certificate, he took a summer job washing dishes in a Dublin hotel. His older sister, Margo, who had established herself as a singer, encouraged Daniel to focus on a career in music. Daniel could afford to live anywhere in the world, but he chooses to remain at Kincasslagh. He has a Fan Club in Wembley, Middlesex, England. Tourists from all over will gather at the Viking House Hotel in Kincasslagh for a cup of tea with their favourite singer. O'DONNELL has recorded many beautiful inspiration and Irish songs and has written his autobiography which is simply titled, "Daniel O'Donnell: My Story." And Daniel says of Donegal -- "This is home to me, and what I enjoy most is having space and quietness, the opportunity to play cards and golf with the friends. In the long run it's the people who matter. I have never wanted for anything, and I never wanted much materially. If it all fell apart tomorrow, I could still live happily in Donegal. Here, you know that if you need assistance, the neighbours will help you. There's always an open door.". Note -- One of the photos is of the clean sheltered beach on nearby Arranmore Island which can be reached by a small car ferry from Burtonport.