O'Donnell centre attracts 600 visitors in opening week

Singer Daniel O’Donnell’s visitor centre is already proving a huge boost for Donegal’s tourism trade.

Singer Daniel O’Donnell’s visitor centre is already proving a huge boost for Donegal’s tourism trade.

The centre, which contains much of the star’s memorabilia, is open less than a week but has attracted more than 600 paying visitors from around the world.

O’Donnell fans from as far away as New Zealand and Canada, and from Switzerland, Scotland, England and across Ireland have signed the visitor book.

The man behind the centre in Dungloe, Pat “Nora” Gallagher, said the town is already feeling a huge benefit from the singer’s drawing power.

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“Most of those 600 people may not have come to Dungloe but for the opening of the centre, and that’s a real positive in this day and age.

“The reaction has been terrific and we are hopeful those kind of numbers of visitors will continue over the summer,” he said.

The Kincasslagh entertainer officially opened the centre last Sunday amid intense local publicity.

Mr Gallagher said the star attractions of the centre have been O’Donnell and wife Majella’s wedding outfits, as well as the red book the singer received after appearing on TV programme This Is Your Life.