Margo O’Donnell revealed lockdown made her realise how much she loves her brother Daniel as the pair worked to heal a family feud that saw them estranged for over five years.
The famous Donegal duo have had their ups and downs over the years, culminating in them not speaking to each other after their mother Julia passed away in May 2014.
Currently back in a good place as they both celebrate milestone birthdays – Daniel turning 60 this December and Margo hitting 70 last February – the singing siblings opened up about forgiveness and their regrets.
As the musical dynasty came together for their first ever joint photoshoot to mark the occasion, Margo told RSVP Magazine: “I had time to recap on everything during lockdown when nobody was going anywhere. I did a lot of reading, research and reflecting. I discovered that I didn’t realise how much I loved Daniel.
“I had suppressed the love, maybe because I was hurt a lot in life and in love, but during Covid I have thought a lot about my pride in Daniel.
“It’s like I gave myself permission to feel and to acknowledge those feelings.
“Before I matured in the lockdown I wasn’t able to look at my brother and say, I love you with all my heart.
“I was so looking forward to being here today. I felt blessed when I was in the car and driving around Donegal chatting away with Daniel.
“It will be such a wonderful memory.”
Daniel gushed about his pride and love for his big sister too, especially of her journey to sobriety, which he says is her greatest achievement of all.
“Irrespective of Margaret’s music, which has brought a great deal of pleasure to people, being able to overcome all of the negativity in her life may have helped people even more. “With her opening up about her problems with drink and getting help she could help others to do the same.
“There is a reason for everything that happens to people in life. Somebody who is in the same situation as Margaret may read something about her story now or in the future and may think if she can get out of that, maybe I can. Margaret has had great achievements in the music business, but her real success to me is what she came through.”
The world renowned country crooner added: “I often think about both of us, coming from where we did, and just making it out physically at all was marvellous.”
Margo said she has finally put her demons to rest and while she has regrets – her greatest being not having children of her own – she said she is at peace with herself today.
“My biggest regret is not having children. I would have loved them and maybe that’s why I wish I was younger so I could have a child on my own without being married now,” she said.
“In my time you couldn’t do that. The first serious relationship I had didn’t work out. He disappeared out of my life and I never saw him again until he was married. We have both made peace with it since and his wife knows about it too.
“He wrote me a letter to release all of the pain. My heart was broken and that is part of the reason I went down the road of taking a drink.
“I wasn’t being treated fairly from the business side of things either, so nothing was working out.
“There were a lot of things that I almost got in life, but didn’t get. There was a lot of pain that “I had to get rid of and I had to work through it all.
“I thank Covid for that, for this period of healing.
“I went into treatment in Aiséirí in Cahir, Co. Tipperary a few years ago and it was the hardest thing I ever did but the best too. Then during Covid I got the final healing.
“If drink was flowing around me now I would never want it. It took Covid for me to come to terms with what I needed in my life and what I loved in my life and to know what was important. I have learned to forgive myself.”
Daniel added: “It’s fantastic to be where she is compared to where she was.”