Ronan Keating carries brother Ciaran’s coffin before heartbreaking song tribute at funeral

Grieving Ronan Keating paid a sweet tribute to his brother Ciaran after he passed away in a horror car accident on Saturday.

During an emotional service for his brother at St Patrick’s Church in Louisburgh, County Mayo, the Boyzone star sang This Is Your Song in a heartbreaking performance. Afterwards, he was consoled by his wife Storm.

The song was originally written by Keating for his and Ciaran’s mother after she died in 1998.

“I shouldn’t be singing it in these circumstances, but we are and we will,” he told fellow mourners at the funeral.

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The Irish singer revealed that the ballad had been a tribute to mum, Marie, after her battle with cancer came to an end. The moving song included lyrics such as: “You were our friend, walk with you till the end, and one day we’ll all sing along, ‘cause this is your song.”

Video / Daily Mail

Before the service, Keating carried Ciaran’s coffins to the church alongside his family while wearing an all-black suit and dark sunglasses. The star seemed distraught by the loss of his brother.

The procession was followed by a crowd of fellow mourners, including members of Cork City FC, the football team Ciaran’s son Ruairi plays for. Representatives of the Marie Keating Foundation cancer charity also attended the service to pay their respects.

Ciaran, who has been called a “hero” by his mourning family, died in a car accident in the rural County Mayo over the weekend while he was driving with his wife Annemarie to watch their 28-year-old son Ruairi’s football match. He was 57.

While Annemarie was injured during the crash, the dad-of-three suffered fatal wounds. The accident took place on the N5 near Swinford, on a piece of road that was known as a black spot for car crashes.

Before paying tribute to his brother by song, Keating said a few words for his children - Conall, Ruairi and Aisling - saying that they made their dad “very proud”.

He told those gathered: “As a parent all you want to do is raise your children as best you can, Ciaran and Annemarie have done a spectacular job - three incredible human beings. Your strength over the past few days has been incredible and you’ve done your dad very proud.”

Keating then consoled his grieving father Gerry, who spoke lovingly about his late son and said that hearing about his death “was the worst news I got in my life”.

Gerry Keating then told fellow mourners stories about Ciaran’s childhood, his love of football in his teenage years, and his love for his wife Annemarie. Ronan approached the altar to comfort his father as he became overcome with emotion.

“On the Saturday [that Ciaran died] I was waiting for the text or the message. I got the message at quarter past eight, I got the bad news, and it was the worst news I got in my life,” Gerry said, his voice cracking from heartbreak.

This article was first published in the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.