With these fans, I thee wed: Ireland's favourite makes a public vow

Across Ireland they watched yesterday as the country's favourite singer, Daniel O'Donnell, got married in the small parish church where he was baptised.

The man who has sold five million easy-listening albums worldwide avoided the celebrity trappings and secrecy of a Hello!-style wedding. Instead, he chose to marry in St Mary's Church, set at the water's edge of his home village of Kincasslagh, a one-shop, one-pub beauty spot on Donegal's coastline.

Hundreds of fans lined the path to the church despite winds and rain. They were rewarded with greetings and thanks from O'Donnell and his bride, Majella McLennan, both 41. In turn they entertained Ms McLennan – who arrived in a silver Rolls-Royce driven by a neighbour – with a rendition of "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".

Ninety minutes later there were cheers when the singer, in a dark blue velvet suit, and his wife,in a traditional ivory dress, emerged from the church and posed for photographs.

O'Donnell described the event as a very emotional occasion. "The music, the singing, the service were all lovely," he said. His wife, a divorcee with two children, added: "I feel absolutely wonderful."

The couple – who set off for the United States tomorrow, where O'Donnell will begin a tour – left for the reception in nearby Letterkenny in a green Rolls-Royce.

The clean-living singer, who is renowned for his trips to the local church hall, where he plays whist and makes tea with local women, spent his last night of bachelorhood at home with his mother, Julia, 83, whom he still refers to as "mammy".

He met Ms McLennan while on holiday in Tenerife two years ago, and proposed last Christmas. The bride had her previous marriage annulled so they could wed in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the parish church.

O'Donnell's sister Margot, 51, said: "This is the church where everything happened. Daniel was baptised in this church, he made his Holy Communion and was confirmed there. Both our brother John and sister Kathleen were married there too.

"Daniel and Majella wanted the church to be the most important part of the day. That's why all the 550 guests are invited to the church as well as the reception."

O'Donnell, appointed an honorary MBE for services to the music industry this year, began his career touring Irish clubs in the UK. He now packs concert halls worldwide with a loyal fan base of predominantly older women. He returns their devotion by hosting a tea party for 7,000 of them at his house each year.