Episode 2
Donie O Connor – Achill To Auschwitz On A Bicycle
Hosts & Guests
Florence Cretaro
Donie O Connor
About This Episode
In this episode, I get to chat with Donal (Donie) O Connor.
Born and raised in Boyle, he is a singer/songwriter in the contemporary folk style. He performs as a solo artist and sometimes with a full band.
Today we chat about Donie’s early days of growing up in Boyle and what inspired him to get into music. We touch on his love for the folk genre and some of the people that he looks up to most in terms of music.
The bulk of the chat revolves around Donie’s recent cycling adventure that took him from Achill in the West of Ireland all the way to Auschwitz in Eastern Poland.
It’s a great story as Donie talks about his challenges and triumphs.
I thoroughly enjoyed the chat and I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to Donnie for his time.
I hope he’ll come on again to chat more about his music and perhaps he might even play a tune for us too!!
Enjoy. 🙂
Local Boyle Facebook Groups…
*Brilliant podcast Florence & Carlo, really enjoying it. My favourite is Donie’s Bike journey.
Donie , thanks for telling your incredible story. Very inspired by your bike journey. I really hope the man who you gifted your bike to… hears your story. That bike of yours was a great friend to you to get you from Boyle to Poland, amazing, and now it lives on in Poland.
Love Donie’s willpower, love that he said he would never give up, his generation had that strength and thought process. Don’t allow yourself to give up and you won’t. We can all learn a lot from people like Donie.
Ná tabhair suas!
Thank you so much Angela….really appreciate the nice comment. They certainly don’t make them like they used to! Xxx
I am listening to the podcast in Perth Western Australia and it was such a joy to listen to Donie on his amazing journey and setting up the fund for the Ukraine people. Very proud of you Donie and I will make sure the O’Gara family here will hear it also as they are not on FB.
Thanks very much for listening on the other side of the world Edith 🙂
What a wonderful podcast.
Please embrace this statement Donnie.
You’re a truly an amazing, beautifully modest man after achieving such a gargantuan feat with no more than a smile on your face & grace in your heart.
What a beautiful listen Donnie, I so enjoyed that journey with you & a credit to you Florence for a wonderfully constructed interview.
You both sounded so at ease with each other, like you were having a chat at the fireplace.
Take a moment to let your heart smile Donnie for such an amazing feat, because the whole world is smiling back at you with gratitude.
What a wonderful man.
Totally agree Risteard – he’s some man for one man! It’s amazing what one can achieve with strength and resilience. And you are a testament to that too. Thanks so much for listening and thank you for your comment about the chat about the fireplace. It felt like it was just that! 🙂
Many thanks, Florence and Donie. This was a great near-introduction for me to Ireland, Boyle, and to a significant milestone for one man. Florence, you did a great job of interviewing Donie–very professional and warm. Thanks to Donie for sharing his adventure. It is a great story. Cheers!
It is a great story indeed and I’m glad you enjoyed the chat Matt. Thanks very much for listening and I hope these podcasts help you keep in touch with Boyle and its people 🙂
Hi Flor
A great podcast
I’m always inspired by other ppls stories, fantastic to have this interview recorded for yrs to come .
Donals journey was amazing not only did he want to do this journey before retiring but to also set up a go fund me hit two birds with the one stone ,a very positive and strong willed man
🤗
I totally agree V. I’m glad you enjoyed listening to the chat 🙂
Fantastic interview with Donie, he is one great ambassador for Boyle.
Well done Florence.
Thanks very much Martina – he’s a great ambassador indeed 🙂
Really enjoyed listening to the podcast this morning. Well done Florence & Donie.
A wonderful podcast. Very well done all round. It tugs very hard on the heartstrings of this expatriate to hear these stories from my hometown. Although I left Boyle in 1986 it will always be my home.
Thank you very much Arnold and I’m very happy you’re enjoying the podcasts. Let’s hope they give you a little taste of home 🙂
Thank you very much, Mandy. Donie is a great storyteller so I had an easy job. 🙂