Ronan Keating’s raw emotions have left viewers in tears as he opens up about the devastating loss of his brother Ciaran. 😢
The Boyzone singer, 49, choked back tears during an emotional moment on the first episode of his new BBC show, Ronan Keating’s Wild Atlantic, as he reflected on the tragic death of his older brother in a car crash in 2023. Ciaran, 57, tragically passed away while traveling with his wife, Annemarie, to watch their son Ruairi play football for Cork City FC.
“He Was My Hero”
Ronan, visibly broken, revealed the depth of his grief, describing how Ciaran had always been his hero. “I was the baby. He was my older brother, my eldest brother, and he’s my hero. I always looked up to him, you know,” Ronan said through tears.
The emotional confession came as he shared a heart-to-heart with his nephew Ruairi, Ciaran’s son, who also struggles with the loss. Ronan admitted how his demanding career had robbed him of time with his brother. “I joined the band, and I had to grow up very quickly, and I missed stuff between us, and because of that, I lost a lot,” Ronan revealed, his voice cracking. “I lost a lot and made a lot of sacrifices.”
Despite his tears, Ronan pushed forward, continuing to process his emotions in front of viewers, showing the world how grief has consumed him. “It is very hard. I am sorry, I am sorry, I don’t want to get upset,” he added, his words heavy with sorrow.
A Devastating Legal Blow
The pain of Ciaran’s death was compounded by the lenient sentencing of Dean Harte, the driver responsible for the crash. Last year, Harte was handed a 17-month suspended sentence—an outcome that Ronan called a “devastating example” of a broken justice system. “You can kill a man… and you can walk free. Not even a single night in prison. Just a slap on the wrist,” Ronan said, his frustration and anger evident. “It’s shameful.”
Ronan and Ruairi’s Emotional Journey
In the deeply emotional segment of the show, Ronan also spoke about the bond between Ruairi and his father, saying, “Oh, man, it’s hard enough for us as siblings. I can’t imagine where you are.” Ronan, who has struggled with grief for the past two years, admitted that he hadn’t fully processed the loss. “I haven’t been able to deal with the loss, you know,” he confessed.
The conversation turned to Ciaran’s decision to leave Dublin and move to the west, a move that Ronan now feels was part of his brother’s journey to find peace. “I think this journey that I’m on, you know, coming here and doing this, is me trying to understand more about Ciarán’s choice,” Ronan said. “So that I can somehow grieve and let go, because I found it very hard.”
Ruairi, holding back tears of his own, reflected on the painful reality of living without his father. “It’s the same for me playing football too. I always look up and still think I can see him there,” he shared. “The hardest part is after games, when I used to check my phone, and the first thing I’d see is my dad’s name. But I don’t see that anymore.”
A Father’s Love and Pride
Ronan responded with a powerful message of love and pride, assuring his nephew that his father would always be with him. “He was so proud of you, and he will still be so proud of you in everything that you do, all of you kids, you were his world, you know, pride and joy.” 💔
In a heartbreaking but beautiful moment, Ronan’s words resonated with viewers, as he revealed how the love between a father and son transcends death.
