Ronan Keating, known for his successful music career with Boyzone and as a solo artist, has had a turbulent personal life marked with tragedy.
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In 2023, the singer had to rush back home from the sets of The Voice Germany after the news of his brother’s death. His older brother Ciaran tragically passed away in a car accident.
A year and a half later, a decision was taken on the sentencing of the man behind the car crash and it has left Ronan Keating devastated.
Ronan Keating opens up about the verdict in his brother’s case
On Wednesday, 19 February, Dean Harte, the man who was responsible for Ciaran Keating's death was given a 17-month suspended sentence—allowing him to walk free and escape jail time. The man had pleaded guilty to charges of careless driving.
Ronan Keating did not hold back when reacting to the sentencing of Dean Harte. Expressing his grief and outrage, the Boyzone star took to Instagram to denounce what he sees as a serious failure of Ireland’s justice system.
He described it as a heartbreaking example of how flawed the justice system is. The singer wrote:
You can take a man's life... and still walk free.
Not even a single night in prison. Just a slap on the wrist and a ticket to carry on your life, like nothing ever happened.
Keating described the ruling as ‘morally corrupt’ and condemned authorities for turning a ‘blind eye’ to road fatalities in Ireland. He said:
And then we wonder why we keep seeing this kind of behaviour on our roads, why people keep dying in road accidents across Ireland every week? It's a joke and it's morally corrupt that rather than trying to fix our broken system, they all turn a blind eye.
Criticising everyone involved in the decision-making, Keating added:
Shame on everyone involved in this process that contributed to the heartbreaking outcome for my family today. The Keating family will never find peace. We will continue to fight for Ciaran's justice.
The singer, along with his family, are also urging Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to appeal the lenient sentence. They stated:
The Keating family are surprised and hugely disappointed with the sentence and hope and expect the DPP to appeal the leniency of it. We will be encouraging the DPP to appeal and rightfully fight for justice. Not only for Ciaran and our family, but for all of those killed on Irish roads and at the hands of someone else’s careless actions.
What happened to Ronan Keating’s brother?
Ciaran Keating, Ronan’s older brother, was killed in a fatal car crash in County Mayo in July 2023. According to BBC, he had been travelling with his wife, Ann Marie, to watch their son, Ruairí, play football for Cork City Football Club when their vehicle collided with another car at Ballymiles near Swinford.
Ciaran suffered fatal injuries, while Ann Marie and the passenger of the other vehicle were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the second car, Dean Harte, was also injured but later recovered.
Ronan Keating and past family tragedies
The pain of losing a loved one is not new to Ronan Keating. His mother, Marie Keating, passed away from breast cancer in 1998 at just 51 years old. Her death left a lasting impact on the singer, who has spoken openly about his grief and frustration over her passing, reports MailOnline.
In a heartfelt Instagramvideo marking the anniversary of her death in 2022, Keating said:
24 years ago today I lost my mum. My family and I went through the most horrible situation losing our mum. Marie Keating, she died 24 years ago. She was 51 years of age, she died of cancer.
She was our best friend, she was a legend, she was as cool as they come. The best mum.
He reflected on how she never got to meet her grandchildren, saying:
She never got to meet her grandchildren [apart from his older nephews], she's got so many incredible grandchildren.
It's heartbreaking that she never got to meet them. I wonder about the conversation I'd have with my mum today, about my children, about my life.
In an article for HuffPost, Keating revealed his lingering anger over his mother’s death, believing that early detection could have saved her. He wrote:
My Mother came from a generation of women (and men) who were brought up not to make a fuss, not to visit the doctor unless it was really serious and not to discuss 'women's troubles'. When she finally made an appointment to see a specialist about the lump in her breast, it was too late.
Keating has spoken candidly about how this experience left him with unresolved frustration. He described feeling helpless, watching his mother suffer while knowing that earlier intervention could have made all the difference. He admitted:
The anger we all felt ate at me in particular. I threw myself into work with Boyzone and used the madness of our lives to mask the hurt that I was feeling. I found it impossible to comprehend that my Mother had been taken from us.
Determined to make a difference, Keating and his family established the Marie Keating Foundation in 1998 to raise awareness about cancer detection. Over the years, the foundation has helped thousands by promoting early diagnosis and providing support to those affected by the disease.
Keating remains actively involved in the foundation's work, frequently participating in fundraising events and awareness campaigns. He has used his platform to stress the importance of early detection and cancer research, advocating for greater public awareness.
This article was created with the help of AI.
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Sources used:
Sky News: Ronan Keating criticises 'broken' justice system as brother's killer avoids prison
BBC: Ronan Keating’s brother dies in County Mayo crash
MailOnline: I’t’s heartbreaking she never got to meet them’: Ronan Keating chokes back tears as he recalls his late mother
HuffPost: Why I'm Still Angry About My Mother Dying From Breast Cancer
