Ronan Keating became emotional on Thursday as he remembered his late mother Marie, 24 years after she died from metastatic breast cancer at the age of 51. In an Instagram video, the Boyzone star, 44, expressed regret that his mother never met his five children.
Speaking directly to the camera, 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.'
The singer shared his devastation that Marie passed before seeing significant moments in his life. 'She never got to meet her 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. So many things in the 24 years that I've been through and I've done that I'd love to share with mum.'
Keating, who has five children from two marriages, told how his mother would be proud of the life he has made, but admitted he misses her reassurance. 'When your mum puts her arms around you and says "everything's going to be OK" - that feeling. I don't get that anymore and there's nothing like that feeling.'
After Marie's death, Keating and his family founded the Marie Keating Foundation to raise awareness of cancer and the importance of early detection. He urged viewers: 'Pay attention to your bodies, cancer is such a horrible disease, early detection is one of the best forms of survival.'
Fighting back tears, Keating signed off by saying: 'I miss you and I love you' before blowing a kiss to the camera. The video comes after he detailed his son Cooper's recent mystery illness that required hospitalisation, following his wife Storm's temporary paralysis from a rare condition.
