It was great to catch up with Danny O’Donoghue the other day when he came in for a radio interview. I hadn’t seen him since his friend and bandmate, Mark Sheehan, died a little over a year ago. That news came as a shock to all of us so I can’t imagine how his family or band members have handled the terrible and premature passing of their loved one.
I’ve known The Script (a little bit) as they appeared on TV as my guests over the years and they never failed to impress. Professional, talented and simply lovely, they were always a joy to chat with and watch in full flight. Danny has brought the (extended) band back together again with himself and Glen Power front and centre, with a sparkling and very emotional new album released recently and a European tour kicking off in November.
When we sat down to talk, Danny was as personable as ever, but he was also very reflective and thoughtful about where he is in life and how he has to process his grief in a very public way. The honesty about giving up booze and returning to daily Mass-going was refreshing and not preachy in any way. Danny has found his answers in churches around the world.
He was laughing about the reaction his tour manager gave him when he started asking about the nearest church to whatever venue they were touring in! But it’s working for him and he seems very grounded and comfortable in his new (and not so new) habits. There was a major development this week when photos emerged of Danny down on bended knee.