Donie taking it all in his stride
DONIE’S MOM NOREEN SPEAKS OF HER PRIDE IN HER SON WHO HAS BECOME IRELAND’S MAIN MAN IN CNN
DONIE O’Sullivan’s mother, Noreen, has spoken this week of her immense pride in her son after he became a household name in Ireland, displaying poise under pressure as he reported live from the US Capitol last Wednesday night.
29-year-old Donie, a native of Cahersiveen, has been working for CNN for the past four years and became a social media sensation as he reported amongst a swelling crowd of pro-Trump supporters who had earlier stormed the building long associated with the heart of US democracy.
As almost all of Ireland was glued to their seats watching Donie calmly go about his work, his mother at home in Cahersiveen could hardly watch, such was her fears for his safety.
Speaking to The Kerryman this week, Noreen said that, thankfully, Donie takes after his father, Donal Tommy, when it comes to keeping cool under pressure.
“We were watching it live but to tell the truth, I was kind of cowardly because I didn’t know if I wanted to watch it, you know that kind of a way. It was kind of like a horror film seeing what was happening there.
“It was only later in the night then that I thought to myself ‘ he [Donie] did really well’” said Noreen.
“He had no issues at all. He’s like his dad in that sense, nothing would faze my husband and thanks be to goodness, Donie has that gene as well. If he took after me, he wouldn’t have been in that situation the other night,” she laughed.
“We were just watching him just strolling through this mob, calm as you like, and my husband just said ‘Era, he’s fine and cool. He’ll be alright’,” she continued.
Noreen said that she’s been speaking to Donie a few times since he became the talk of the country and she said that he is so grateful and appreciative of all the support and messages that he’s been receiving.
“He’s really loving it, his new found fame. He says it’s great to feel the love, especially from home. He says that Ireland might be a small country but there’s a lot of love being shown and he says it’s really great, he’s really appreciative of it all.
“He joked that he’s going to be lapping it up while he can get it because he said they’ll forget about him tomorrow,” said Noreen.
“We’re extremely proud altogether. He’s worked terribly hard to get to where he is. He’s
He says that Ireland might be a small country but there’s a lot of love being shown and he says it’s really great. He’s really appreciative of it all.
put in the miles and all we can do is back him up,” she said.
Donie, who was also a guest on last Friday night’s Late, Late Show, was typically casual, his mother said, when it came to him breaking the news to her that he would be on Ireland’s flagship talk show.
“We’re thrilled to bits. We were talking a few days ago and he knew at that point that
he was going to be on The Late, Late and sure, he didn’t say a word and then last night, he rang, cool as a cucumber, and we were chatting and he just ‘oh by the way, I’m going to be on the Late, Late’ and I said, ‘You are, yeah’, you know, thinking he was pulling my leg. When he said he was serious, I couldn’t believe it.”
Finally, Noreen said that she hopes that with Donie’s 30th birthday coming up in March, that he’ll be able to come home or that she’ll be able to get over to him.
Donie pictured with his mom Noreen in Boston in March 2018 outside Noreen’s childhood home.