Ronan Keating has revealed his beloved mum’s death affects him now more than ever, as he reflects on losing his ‘rock’ at just 20 years old.
The former Boyzone star lost his mother, Marie Keating, to breast cancer in 1998 and explained that it had a devastating impact on his family dynamics.
‘It tore my family apart,’ the singer confessed. ‘Our mum was our rock. Every family has that one person or one household where people congregate at Christmas time or birthdays. My mum was that person.’
Ronan revealed that thinking about her death affects him more now, thirty years on, as he is almost the age she was when she passed away.
‘I think talking about it has more of an impact on me now than ever because I’m getting close to 50. I’m getting close to the age my mum was when she passed away,’ Ronan explained.
‘My mum had cancer at this stage of her life. When she was 49, like I am right now. And she came from a generation that was scared to go to the doctor and get checked.’
‘Whether it is your mum or your dad, a parent has the ability to tell you everything is going to be okay when you’re going through the hardest times in your life.
‘They put their arm around you, and you believe it. When you lose that, it’s very difficult,’ the dad-of-five said.
‘I was 20 years old and the ground fell from beneath me, and it was dreadful.’ Ronan opened up about Marie’s sad passing to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Network Australia.
Following Marie’s death, Ronan and his family set up the Marie Keating Foundation to raise breast cancer awareness and support patients.
He regularly pays tribute to his beloved late mum on the anniversary of her passing.
Watch the video below:
