Keating completes charity trek

A jubilant Ronan Keating completed his marathon charity walk across Ireland today, and then vowed to party until the early hours.

The pop star finished the gruelling 357-mile coast-to-coast journey – which raised more than €100,000 for cancer charities – and immediately cracked open two bottles of champagne.

Family and friends were set to join him at a party in Cork city to mark the singer’s achievements.

A jubilant Ronan Keating told Sky News: “It was unbelievable, I can’t believe it. It is fantastic.

“There was ups and downs and pains but we got through it and we had a great time.”

Hundreds of fans turned out to help the 26-year-old chart star finish the last leg of his walk from Co Antrim in the north to the Old Head of Kinsale in Co Cork, one of the country’s most southerly points.

Despite periods of bad weather the former Boyzone singer was greeted by bright sunshine as he took his final steps through Co Cork.

All money raised in Northern Ireland will go to Action Cancer while funds collected in the Irish Republic will go to the Marie Keating Foundation, set up in memory of his mother, Marie, who died from breast cancer.

During the walk Keating was accompanied by a number of family members and friends, but the only others to walk the full length of the country were his stylist and head of security.

His brother Gary told PA News: “The three boys are absolutely ecstatic.

“I can’t believe the elation here. They couldn’t be happier.

“They are going to party until they drop tonight.

“But judging by how tired they are they’ll probably be in bed by nine o’clock.”

The Marie Keating Foundation has provided three cancer information and awareness units which have visited more than 750 towns, cities and corporate sites on the island.

Keating said the cash raised during the walk would fund other units.

“I would love to think we could put another unit on the road in the north,” he added.

“This is about cancer awareness. Cancer can be cured if it is caught on time.”