LOVE him or hate him, Daniel O'Donnell is by far Ireland's most popular Irish country music entertainer.

Over the past 20 years, he has had countless hit singles and amassed a fan base to rival the biggest international names in music. And in July, he brings his amazingly popular one man show to the Millennium Forum.

The career of Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell has been one constant success story. Seldom the Kincasslagh man holds a concert that doesn't sell out, as his legions of adoring fans flock to see one of the hardest working men in music.

In the past three years alone, Daniel has put an astonishing seven albums in the UK Top 20 and topped the DVD Music Charts at Christmas.

And while today he is worth millions, the road to success for Donegal's favourite son could not have started differently.

While working as a dishwasher in Dublin's Central Hotel, Daniel managed to scrape together just enough to record his debut single 'My Donegal Shore'.

Luckily, the sound reached the ears of Rosette Records boss Mick Clerkin. Immediately Mick realised the young man's potential and offered him a contract.

While his first album enjoyed mediocre success, the Daniel phenomenon kicked off properly with the release of 'I Need You', which entered the UK Country album charts in 1987 and was the forerunner for Daniel's assault on the UK Album charts proper a year later, with 'From The Heart'.

That second album won Daniel the 'Country Album Of The Year' trophy at that year's Music Week awards, and set a precedent not matched by any other artist. Since 'From The Heart's' release, every single one of Daniel's albums has figured in the UK album chart. That is a total of 20 consecutive years in the UK Album Charts. An incredible feat and still the fans come flocking back for more.

And it is Daniel's huge fanbase that really does set him apart from any other artist and goes someway to explaining this continuing phenomenal success story. As each concert tour around the world sells out, and each album release goes into the charts with the kind of consistency that is envied by many artists, Daniel never forgets that it was his fans, the general public, that gave him his success in the first place. As such he always makes himself incredibly accessible to the fans, never more so than at his annual gathering at his family home in Kincasslagh, when thousands gather for a cuppa with the man himself. In recent times, Daniel has changed direction on several occasions, but again, always remaining true to his roots.

His 2003 rock'n'roll album Daniel in Blue Jeans was an overwhelming success and spawned two similarly successful albums, 2004's The Jukebox Years and 2005's Teenage Dreams.

Currently, Donegal Danny is entertaining audiences in Canada, however on Friday, July 25 he brings his now legendary show to the Millennium Forum.

Tickets are on sale now, priced £28 and £30 and are available from the box office on 02871 264455 or www.millenniumforum.co.uk.