Athlone singer writes song in support of Palestine

An Athlone singer-songwriter impacted by the harrowing scenes in Gaza has composed a new song to honour its victims, the sale proceeds from which will go directly to the UNICEF Gaza Appeal.

Tony O'Donnell has penned 'From the River to the Sea', a song with lyrics detailing the destruction and poverty which the children of Gaza are "enduring on a daily basis" in a "bid to survive".

With no sign of respite for the Palestinian people from the escalation of violence which began in October 2023, O'Donnell decided to put his musical talent to the test and write a song which "reflects the current situation" and more importantly, he added, would "positively contribute" to helping the children of Gaza.

O'Donnell chose UNICEF as his charity partner for the venture, saying the organisation was "pushing for safe and expanded access to deliver more emergency supplies" in Gaza.

The song 'From the River to the Sea' was launched at the start of November with O'Donnell saying it has attracted a positive response not just in Ireland, but across the globe.

Prior to writing the song, O'Donnell researched Palestine, its geography and its people. He had the opportunity to speak with Palestinian refugees in Ireland in order to gain a sense of life in Gaza and the condition from which they were fleeing.

"A song such as 'From the River to the Sea' is usually a topic out of my scope, so research was needed. I had the opportunity to meet with and speak with Palestinian refugees, and the tales they told were harrowing and sad.

"Before I started to write the song, I asked myself, 'what does Palestine mean to them?'," O'Donnell said.

O'Donnell played with numerous bands from the mid-'80s until the 1990s. He started songwriting "seriously" in the mid-noughties and is proud of his work on 'From the River to the Sea'.

"When I heard of the life left behind by the Palestinian refugees, I really felt, as a songwriter, using the talents I have, that I could make a positive contribution to the Palestinian cause.

"Yes, we see images of so many raising the flag of Palestine in support of its people, but I decided to lift my finger and write 'From the River to the Sea'," O'Donnell stated.

The song narrates a "loss of innocence", with O'Donnell referencing the "starving conditions" which are currently impacting "over 100,000" Palestinians.

"The children of Gaza are growing up in a society of destruction, poverty and starvation and I had to address that in the song. I had to capture the sense of what it's like for the Palestinians in Gaza at this moment in time," O'Donnell stated.

One particular image which resonates in the video accompanying 'From the River to the Sea' is that of a young boy holding a teddy bear encased with blood.

"That particular image just highlights the suffering which the Palestinians are continuing to endure. They are suffering on a daily basis and I am sure that when people take time to view the video that image will strike at their hearts," O'Donnell stated.

As well as penning the charity song, O'Donnell composed the video which he said included "real images" from Palestine counter-balanced by use of AI.

The song is available to stream on all music platforms, while the video for 'From the River to the Sea' can be viewed on the songwriter's social media channels.

He said all listens and views "create immediate royalties" which "go directly" to the UNICEF Gaza Appeal.

For O'Donnell, his song has a clear message - the Palestinians want "to live free", and in peace, in "their homeland".

By writing 'From the River to the Sea', the songwriter hopes he has made a meaningful contribution to the lives of suffering Palestinians.

"It's a cause close to my heart and hopefully that's felt through the song's lyrics and video," O'Donnell concluded.