Many of us spend time looking for a little bit of magic in our lives. Fortunately a new magician in Mayo is now here to help fulfil this quest.
“Yes, we’re all looking for that big of magic to take us away from it all, and my performance is about trying to create little moments of possibility for people, when they might look at life with a sense of wonder again,” explains magician Dan O’Donoghue.
A native of Thurles, Co Tipperary, whose career began in the Army School of Music before training up to transfer to the Garda Síochána and then the Garda music band, O’Donoghue has lived an interesting life to date and is enjoying this latest phase here in Mayo. He is married to Geesala native Teresa, whose father Ronan McMillan is known far and wide for his own magic tricks, indeed the famous International Magic Shop in London belonging to the family still hosts its annual famous magicians’ convention that attracts hosts such as Derren Brown, Yuri Geller, and David Copperfield.
“We moved in January and it’s been a delight settling in to our new home in Mayo, which is in Furnace just outside Newport — the Killarney of Mayo!”
No slowcoach when it comes to charming the socks off people, as a ‘close-up magician’ O’Donoghue is also amazingly quick with his sleight of hand tricks, which seem to magic items in or out of existence before your eyes.
“Yes, I literally get right up people’s noses, performing right in front of them so that everyone gets involved in the act.”
O’Donoghue is also an expert storyteller, or should that be yarn-spinner, as some of the captivating banter he manages to keep going throughout his acts must surely distract attention from the real action taking place.
One of O’Donoghue’s most popular acts is in entertaining the corporate sector at cocktail parties or pre-dinner drinks. “It works well in these settings to have some guy going around putting a little bit of extra fizz into the evening,” he said.
O’Donoghue’s work is also very much in vogue at weddings, particularly at the lull time between the sit-down meal and the after-dinner dancing, when guests in certain venues tend to do their own magical disappearing acts.
O’Donoghue’s introduction to magic was at 10 years of age when he saw his local cobbler make his bowtie light up by pushing his nose. After going on to become All Ireland Magic Champion four times, O’Donoghue worked the strip on Las Vegas for a further six years performing to high-rollers and visitors from all over the world. Since returning to Ireland he has developed the Dublin Ghostbus Tour, operated by Dublin Bus, which he continues to oversee.
As a shy person by nature, it might seem like an unusual career move to become a public performer, yet Dan relishes every opportunity to pull the wool over people’s eyes.
“Some people are naturally confident. I wouldn’t be one of them but what I’ve found is the more familiar you get with your art, the more confident you get. I know I can do a trick and have become skilled at reading body language, so it’s like anything. Once you learn your craft it’s easier to do it and after that it’s all about interacting with people”.
‘Magic Dan’ whose speciality is performing magic at parties, weddings, and festivals, can do some amazing tricks with a pint of Guinness (this does not include knocking it back in one ). He is happy to perform at social occasions over food and drink where he can circulate from table to table, and is also the perfect entertainer for themed events of the murder mystery variety.
He will appear at the Ballina Salmon Festival on American Night, July 4 next, and can be contacted on 086 8142775.
To see Dan in action online search for him on YouTube or visit www.magicdaniel.com
