Daniel O'Donnell has paid tribute to late RTÉ journalist and broadcaster Charlie Bird, saying, "When Charlie reached the top of Croagh Patrick it was one of the most emotional experiences I had in my life, I’ll never forget it."
Speaking to Claire Byrne this morning on RTÉ Radio 1, the singer spoke about his memories of the popular broadcaster, who has passed away aged 74 after being diagnosed with MND in 2021.
O’Donnell is currently in Australia touring and took time out to speak about his sadness at the passing of Charlie, who he called "an inspiration."
"I just can’t believe that he is gone albeit we knew this day would come," O’Donnell said.
"I only know Charlie from a little over two years ago but I know him, like everybody else, all my life."
The singer spoke about meeting Charlie on the Late Late Show where O’Donnell gave him his rosary beads, which meant a lot to the late journalist.
"On the night, I was so taken by Charlie’s bravery and impressed by the way he was talking about the situation he was in," O’Donnell said.
"I wanted him to know that he had support. How do you support somebody in that situation? And I just handed him what was important to me."
Charlie spoke to Brendan O’Connor just ten days ago on RTÉ Radio 1and said that he wanted those rosary beads in his hands when he died.
He added that Charlie contacted him after that initial meeting at the Late Late Show and told Daniel that the gesture "meant the world to him."
"He was talking about doing Croagh Patrick and I wanted him to know I would support him in it but I didn’t want to go into his space, it was his journey and nothing to do with me," he said.
"I felt so grateful that I did what I did. I didn’t want to push religion on him, it was just something that was important to me that I could give to him hoping that he would get strength from it. I just never imagined that it would mean so much to him."
O’Donnell was one of the thousands of people who joined Charlie when he climbed Croagh Patrick in April 2022 for the Climb with Charlie campaign, which raised over €3.6m for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and Pieta House.
"When Charlie reached the top of Croagh Patrick it was one of the most emotional experiences I had in my life, I’ll never forget it, it was incredible and his strength was inspirational," O’Donnell said.
"Charlie told stories, incredible stories, from all over the world. He brought stories to us that we would never know about, it was amazing, but there was no story told like the one he told in the last few years - his own story - and how he inspired people the last few years.
"He deserves his rest, I’m sad of course that he is gone but I’m happy he doesn’t have to struggle or suffer anymore. He has done everything you could imagine a man could do."
Daniel also extended his and wife Majella’s heartfelt sympathies to Charlie’s family.
