Rosie O’Donnell Says This Part of Moving From the U.S. to Ireland Has Been “Very Difficult”
Rosie O’Donnell Says This Part of Moving From the U.S. to Ireland Has Been “Very Difficult”
Hannah MalachTue, August 11, 2026 at 9:27 PM UTC
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Rosie O’Donnell attends the 2026 Tony Awards on June 7 in New York City.Credit: Getty ImagesThe Gist -
Rosie O’Donnell appeared on the latest episode of Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast.
The comedian, 64, discussed the pros and cons of living in Ireland.
She relocated there from the United States in January 2025.
Rosie O’Donnell is loving her life in Ireland nearly two years after leaving the United States, but she admits that it can get “lonely sometimes.” Appearing on the latest episode of Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast, the comedian opened up about the experience of being an ex-pat.
“The best part is that they don’t have celebrity culture there. Nobody really cares that you’re famous,” said O’Donnell, 64. “Now when people knew that I moved there, people would say, ‘Welcome, Rosie. Welcome to Ireland. You belong here.’ It’s so sweet.”
Rosie O’Donnell attends the 2026 Tony Awards on June 7 in New York City.Credit: Getty Images
O’Donnell recalled a run-in she had with a couple in Ireland after moving there in January 2025. She said that their conversation lasted nearly two and a half hours before they revealed that they were fans of hers.
“I said, ‘Oh, really? You thought you’d wait till the end of the dinner to bring that up?’ Like being funny, right?” O’Donnell explained. “And she goes, ‘Well, surely it’s not the most important thing now, is it?’ I thought it was a sentence you’d never hear in America. It’s not the most important thing about you, and that’s what I found out when I was over in Ireland.”
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Rosie O’Donnell attends the 2026 Tony Awards on June 7 in New York City.Credit: Getty Images
The actress is also raising her youngest child, 13-year-old Clay, there, though she admitted that leaving her loved ones back home in the States wasn’t an easy decision.
“My friends are really my family and community and it’s been very difficult,” she shared.
Rosie O’Donnell attends the 2026 Tony Awards on June 7 in New York City.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s lonely sometimes, but I have met two really good friends whose little kids have autism and they’re the same age as Clay and we socialize together and that’s been really helpful,” O’Donnell, who revealed Clay’s diagnosis in 2022, continued.
Still, living in Ireland has been “very beautiful” and “very healing,” she said. “People say they notice a difference and I think I’m just calmer. I’m calmer being over there.”
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
