Farewell Boyzone: It all started for Ronan Keating in Dorey's Forge talent contest
There are many who thought Boyzone had retired years ago. They hadn't - they were on a break! Now, for the four surviving members are starting their 'Thank You and Goodnight' farewell tour, which opened last night in Belfast, and continues to Dublin tonight.
It is sad to say 'four surviving' in a group whose members are only in their early 40s, but the sudden death of Stephen Gately in October 2009 saw Keith Duffy, Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch lose the comrade who had journeyed through their boyband years with them.
It's hard to believe its over a quarter of a century since Ronan Keating, who was living around Dunsany and Dunshaughlin at the time, tried his hand at audition for Ireland's answer to Take That.
Boyzone with DJ Hollywood at Atlantic 252 radio headquarters in Trim.
In November 1993, Dublin agent Louis Walsh felt there was an opening for an Irish pop act similar to Robbie, Gary et al.
Over 300 young hopefuls auditioned and were finally whittled down to five fresh faced lads – and Ronan Keating was the youngest of the group. Dickie Rock's son, Richard, was also with them for a short time – and took part in that infamous debut Late Late Show performance with Gay Byrne, which Shane Lynch is sick of looking at!
In the summer of 1994, they hit the Irish pop scene with 'Working My Way Back to You', reaching number two, and by the the end of that year, their cover version of The Osmond's 'Love Me for Reason' had reached number two in the UK charts.
A far cry from Dorey's Forge in Moynalvey – where Ronan won a talent contest a few years earlier as a member of Namaste. The group also included Ian McTigue, Gordon Geraghty, Stuart Gray, Adrian Flanagan, and James Conroy.
They sang 'Johnny B Goode' by Chuck Berry, and Christy Moore's 'Ride On'.
Namaste celebrating their win in Dorey's Forge.
Ronan Keating was born in Bayside, Sutton, on 3rd March 1977, the youngest in the family of five of Gerry and Marie Keating, coming after Ciaran, Gary, Gerard and sister, Linda. The family moved to Old Road, Dunsany, where he attended the local national school, and later to Tara and Dunshaughlin.
His first day at school in Dunsany was on 20th October 1986, and Ronan Mac Ceitin is recorded in the school roll book alongside the rest of fourth class at the time, Tony Gorman, Michael Cunningham, Shay Sheridan, Dominic Cottrell, Niamh Harrington, Joanne Lawlor, Karent Nugent and Sinead McIntyre.
He was a bright, sometimes cheeky lad, and this writer recalls his interest, even then, was in music – he was always talking about Bono and U2. It often comes to mind when the video for 'The Sweetest Thing' comes on!
In his autobiography, 'Life is A Rollercoaster', published in 2000, he writes of this move to Dunsany.
“Lush, rural county Meath was a whole new world for us,” he said.
“The primary school was a tiny place, with the fourth, fifth and sixth classes all squeezed together in the same room. It was hard for a while, as I has to start making new friends all over again.”
A big hit at the time in Phil Lynch's shop at Belper Cross was the homemade popcorn supplied by Marie Keating. Ronan later attended Dunshaughlin Community College.
In Eugene Masterson's book on Boyzone, he recalls his first – and last – big fight at secondary school there.
“Some of the boys had a chip on their shoulder because I was from Dublin. They didn't like the Dubs. They kind of ganged up on me, but I sorted them out.
“The teachers also seemed to be biased against me - I didn't get on with any of them, I think it was because I was from Dublin, and they thought I was a bit of an upstart!”
Boyzone visit DJ Hollywood at Atlantic 252 radio station headquarters in Trim.
Ronan played football at underage and minor level with Skryne. As a member of Dunshaughlin Athletic Club, he won the under-13 Meath, Leinster and All Ireland 200 metres championships.
The athletic club's 1990 programme signals out him and Shirley Dixon of Kiltale as their outstanding juveniles that year.
Gerry Keating worked in a bottling company, and Marie ran a hairdressers in Dunshaughlin.
Ronan went along to the Boyzone auditions with Mark Maher, a friend from Ratoath, who worked with him in Korky's Shoe Shop on Henry Street, Dublin.
“The auditions were nerve-wracking,” he remembered. “I thought I'd never get it. I had to sing George Michael's 'Careless Whisper'. There were three auditions altogether. I also had to dance to Right Said Fred's ''I'm Too Sexy'. I then sang Cat Steven's 'Father and Son' (which was to become a big hit for him in later years).
There was a famous concert in Summerhill Community Centre in January 1995, which had been originally organised by Trim teacher Niall McLoughlin for 1994 prior to the band becoming high profile, but which turned into a rescheduled scream fest as hundreds of young teenage girls turned out to see the chart sensations fresh from a Top of the Pops appearance.
Ronan, Keith and Stephen running on to stage in the Longford Arms Hotel, Longford.
Success for Ronan and Boyzone was overshadowed by the death of his mother, Marie, in 1998 following two-year battle with breast cancer. Following her passing, the Keating family set up the Marie Keating Foundation, now a leading voice in cancer awareness and information for both men and women in Ireland.
The 'Coming Home' concerts brought them to the County Club, Dunshaughlin.
In 1999, when Ronan released his first solo single 'When You Say Nothing At All', from the hit movie 'Notting Hill', it crashed into the charts at number one, becoming one of the love songs of the year. It was to catapult him further into a successful singing and acting career.
However, as he wrote in 'Life is A Rollercoaster', of the talent contest in Dorey's Forge: “Even after the number ones, the huge concerts and all the success I later had, that night in a beery local pub is still one of my most memorable nights.”
Ronan Keating presented the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest from Dublin with Carrie Crowley.