Ronan
Yvonne Keating
Golden Couple
Jack Keating
Marie Keating
Boyzone
The Band
The
in-depth interview at home, Ronan Keating so content with wife Yvonne and
little baby Jack. The singer tells how fatherhood has changed him forever.
Boyzone's lead singer Ronan Keating has never looked more relaxed. Along
with wife Yvonne and their 8-week-old son Jack, he has jetted back to
Ireland from Boyzone's UK tour to open the doors of the family home to OK!
Magazine.
Despite their hectic schedule, the couple are more united than ever and
focused 100 per cent on one little person-Jack. Ronan, Yvonne and Jack live
with their 4 dogs in a six-bedroom house in the heart of County Kildare,
their two horses grazing happily in the adjacent paddock.
This family is at home for one night only, yet 17 relatives have been
invited over for dinner to be cooked by Ireland's top chef, Conrad
Gallagher.
OK : What was it like holding your baby son for the very first time?
Ronan : We bawled our eyes out.
Yvonne : The nurses and the doctors were trying to talk to us and we
couldn't stop crying. Ronan was on the bed with me, and Jack was wrapped up
in a blanket between us and we just held on to each other for so long. It's
what all parents say-but having a baby really is an everyday miracle.
OK :Did you guess which sex the baby was?
Yvonne : Everyone originally said it was a boy up until I was about 7 months
pregnant.
Ronan : Then everyone was no, no it's a girl. You know, you're low slung so
it must be a girl and all these other great theories people have!
OK : How has Jack's arrival changed your relationship?
Ronan :It's brought us closer together, without a shadow of a doubt.
Yvonne :From the moment we had Jack in our arms we sat there in tears, it
changed everything. We could never have got closer but it's a different type
of closeness. We were always great mates and often knew what each other was
thinking, and we are a very tight unit. But when you have the baby, he or
she is part of the two of you.
Ronan :Jack's the bond between us.
OK : We last saw you in the Seychelles, when Yvonne was about 6 months
pregnant. How did it go from there?
Yvonne : Everything was brilliant-time was flying and I couldn't wait for
the baby to come. At the time we were renting a house and renovating this
one. We were traveling but when Christmas came I couldn't travel anymore.
Everything started to slow down and the days started to drag.
Ronan : I took February and March off to be with Yvonne. By the end of
February I had the overnight bag packed and the stopwatch at the ready!
OK : When the big day eventually came, how did it go for the two of you?
Ronan : It started in the early hours of March 15th, at 6 minutes to 4, when
Yvonne heard a bang.
Yvonne :I really did hear a bang like a snap of an elastic band or a balloon
bursting. Nobody had ever told me that you can hear your waters burst- but I
'm sure that's what I heard. That's what woke me up.
Ronan : Yvonne said: 'I think my waters are after breaking, and rushed into
the toilet. I thought that she needed to go to the loo, and fell back to
sleep again. She came rushing out of the bathroom, fully dressed and
carrying an overnight bag. She said : Ro, are you ready? I'm half asleep
thinking What??, We're going to the hospital, she says. I suddenly woke up
with a start and threw my trousers on and anything that was hanging around
the room. We jumped into our fastest car- the yellow Peugeot 406 coupe-and
threw the bag in and speed off. We went to Mount Carmel Hospital in Dublin,
which is about a 25 minute drive from here. Once we got in the car we were
so relaxed. We were chatting away and I made all the necessary calls to
family and friends while we were en route.
Yvonne : I was in no pain at that time. We got to the hospital, got settled
in and I changed into my nightie. As soon as I was settled the contractions
started.
Ronan : And by God did they start! It really kicked in then. It was a long
slog. She went into labour for 13 hours and then Jack was born at 4.45pm. It
was the first time in my life that I felt absolutely helpless. I didn't know
what to do or how to help. There was nothing I could do but stand there. I
felt awful telling Yvonne she had to push when she was going through all
that pain. I was wondering if I was doing any good at all.
Yvonne : That's not true! He was brilliant and supportive, he was excellent.
He held onto my hand and moped my brow.
OK : Did you attend all the antenatal classes?
Ronan :Did you attend all the antenatal classes?
OK : Did you know what kind of birth you wanted?
Yvonne : We wanted to do it as naturally as possible.
Ronan: None of those water births or anything-just as normally as possible.
OK :Ronan did you cut the cord?
Ronan : When Jack came out he wasn't actually breathing which was really,
really scary. The cord was wrapped around his neck so the doctor cut it. I
remember looking down when Yvonne was pushing and seeing the midwife pulling
and pulling. I could see from her face that the midwife was very concerned
and I knew there was something wrong. Jack?' shoulder was caught inside
Yvonne, on her pelvis. When he finally came out, the umbilical cord was
wrapped around his neck and he was black and blue and not breathing.
OK :Did you tell Yvonne ?
Ronan :No. There was no way I could tell Yvonne after everything she'd been
through. It happens to one in every two babies, but when it happens to your
child those 30 seconds feel like an hour. The doctors were brilliant- they
put the baby on the table and put a breathing mask on his mouth and he let
out his first scream. It was unbelievable. Then they weighed him-he was 10lb
4oz- and they wrapped him up and put him in our arms.
OK :Did you have any inclination that he was going to be such a big baby?
Yvonne : About 2 months before I had Jack I went to see the doctor, because
I was putting on so much weight. She asked what I was eating and I then
realized I had been eating so much chocolate. I've always been a chocoholic,
but during my pregnancy, especially towards the end, I ate it constantly.
Ronan and the rest of Boyzone did a promotion for Cadbury's and they sent us
millions and millions of bars of chocolate. I think you'd have to say that
was my ultimate downfall!
Ronan : I was worried that my baby was going to be a chocoholic with a big
chocolate head on him and wrapped in foil. Thanks go out to Cadbury's for
getting Yvonne through nine months.
OK :Did you put on weight anywhere other than the bump?
Ronan : In the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the bedroom-infact everywhere!
Yvonne :Everywhere I went I put it on. I was huge.
OK : You look to have lost it all now.
Yvonne : No, I haven't yet. There's still loads to get off. I've seriously
cut down on my chocolate intake, but I do need my daily fix.
OK :What's changed since Jack's arrival?
Ronan : Having a baby puts your life into perspective. Everything has
changed for us. You start off and you're on your own, looking after number
one. Then you get married and you've two people to look after. Then you have
a child and that just changes everything. This little baby cannot do
anything-he's totally dependant on you. They expect everything from you.
Yvonne :That's the most rewarding thing.
OK : Do you ever panic about such a responsibility?
Ronan :Every night when I creep into see him, I'll stop and listen to make
sure I can hear him breathing properly. I'm a nervous wreck with him- I'm
constantly asking what this rash or that spot is!
Yvonne : The biggest thing in our lives before was Ro's music and our
marriage. Now if Jack has a good burp we're out there celebrating! Before it
was exciting if Ro got a big job or deal-now it's if Jack gets his wind up,
so you know it's not going to hurt him for two hours.
Ronan : Most mothers and fathers will relate to that- a burp is more
important than a job!
OK :Ronan-what's it like not being the center of attention any longer?
Ronan : It's slightly strange-but whatever job you're doing it can also be
strange for someone to start asking you about another person who you've
created. It's magic though, and wonderful. We love to talk about Jack- in
fact we can't stop talking about him.
OK : How did you celebrate Jack's arrival?
Ronan :By raising a glass or two of Jack Daniels! We had all our friends and
family over here and there were a few nights when we wet his head. The
christening is going to be the really big celebration.
Yvonne : We want to take time off to do the whole thing properly.
Ronan : The ceremony will be for close family with the godparents being my
brother Gary, who was my Best Man, and Yvonne's sister-in-law, Linda
Connolly.
OK :Is the Christening important from a religious point of view?
Ronan : Basically we want to bring Jack up as best we can. It is very
important because both myself and Yvonne were christened and brought up like
that.
Yvonne : Obviously when the child grows older he can make his own decisions
in life, but while he's young we have to make those decisions for him.
OK :Ronan-do you think your relationship with Jack will be similar to yours
with your own dad?
Ronan : I see myself as being very lucky, because I'm in a great position. I
can give Jack everything- everything I ever wanted and dreamed of, hopefully
without spoiling him. I'm not saying I didn't get any of it, but it's a nice
feeling to be able to do that. The way I was brought up was perfect and I
want to bring my children up the same way.
OK : So how do you and your dad get on?
Ronan :My dad's 56 and a very proud man. I try to take care of him as best I
can and as much as he'll let me . But it's very important that you don't try
to overpower him.
OK : Since your mum died, have you found your dad leans on you more?
Ronan : He's really dug into his work-he's a courier who works across
Ireland so he's always away too. I hardly see him, but we talk on the phone
a lot.
OK : What happened when Grandad met grandson for the first time?
Ronan :It was magical. The three generations of Grandad, dad and son,
together. Since my mam died we feel that her spirit lives on in her
grandchildren. In Ashley-Marie, who's my brother Kieran's daughter, and Jack
we feel it's the second coming,. So it's a special time for us to see mams
spirit in Jack.
OK : Not having your mum here to see little Jack must have been very
difficult for you.
Ronan : It breaks my heart. I'd give away everything for my mam to see Jack
and to be here. She loved her grandchildren so much. Connall and Rory, the
two grandchildren she knew, meant everything to her. I was her baby, so it
would have been great for her to see me with my baby. It's very tough.
OK :How do you cope with that?
Ronan : As best I can. We miss her terribly.
Yvonne : There are difficult times, such as when it was the first
anniversary of her birthday or the day she died and it's hard on the whole
family. But when Jack was born was the hardest. It's such a big occasion and
I know how happy it would have made her. I think that's why we cried so
much.
OK : What's Yvonne like as a mum Ronan?
Ronan : She's perfect-she's brilliant at a very difficult job. I always knew
she would be, from the first time I met her. When we got married I knew she
would be a perfect wife and I don't mean that in a chauvinistic way. I knew
she would be perfect as the mother of my children.
OK :Do you have the same high praise for Ronan as a father Yvonne?
Yvonne : Yes! We were friends for a year and a half before we became a
couple, and from the day we got together we talked about family, getting
married and having kids. As soon as we got married we started to try for a
baby. I wouldn't be everybody's perfect wife but for each other we were both
what we dreamed of.
OK :You're in a house surrounded by men now. Are you sure you're prepared
for a life of football and fights?
Yvonne : Even the four dogs and horses are all male! Thank God I get on with
fellas alright.
OK :Ronan, do you already have a pair of football boots for Jack?
Ronan : You've no idea! I have every toy in the world-stuff that he can't
use yet. I've ordered a special wine for when he's 21 and a crate of Jack
Daniels special single barrel for when he's 18.
OK : Do you not worry that this particular luxury will send him off the
rails?
Yvonne :I don't think that in this family he'd be allowed to go that way.
The reason Ro's so stable is because he was surrounded by a family who were
solid in one sense- but mad in another. There's no occasion where you act
like a star with these people.
OK : Do you feel you've sacrificed anything by marring and having a child so
young?
Ronan : Not at all-we've gained everything.
OK :We saw you at the movie premiere of Notting Hill. Does having a nanny
help you get out and about?
Ronan : Some people don't agree with nannies, other do. But our nanny looks
after Jack when he's asleep at night time. We look after him during the day.
Yvonne :We said before we had Jack that we would look after him ourselves.
But two weeks after he was born, Ronan was back working and we were on the
road. It's good to have a second pair of hands and our nanny is proving to
be brilliant.
OK : I read recently that Boyzone were going their separate ways. Is that
true?
Ronan : I have a solo single coming out on July 19th from the Notting Hill
soundtrack. The others are all doing solo projects too. We feel it will give
the band a longer lifespan. But right now we're still very much together.
OK :What has been the fans' reaction to your good news?
Ronan : They've been fantastic. We've had hundreds of messages wishing us
and Jack all the best.
OK : Will you be doing any more TV presenting?
Ronan : Not at the moment. But it was fantastic doing my own show with Get
Your Act Together, but Yvonne was in her last six-weeks of pregnancy and I
didn't really like being away filming. Every day I commuted from Glasgow to
Dublin and I had a private jet on the runway so I could speed off if I got a
call saying Yvonne had gone into labour. It was a nerve-racking time. I
thrive under pressure, but Get Your Act Together was pre-recorded so I sort
of became lackadaisical and didn't perform as well as I could have done. So
I? I've decided to concentrate on the singing and songwriting for the time
being.
OK :Ronan, would you ever refuse to go on tour so that you could be with
Jack?
Ronan : I can't do that because I have to work. What am I without it? I
can't plumb or garden, this is all I know.
OK : Yvonne, do you think it's different for the mother because she has to
change her lifestyle to be with the baby?
Yvonne :A lot of people have been asking me if I'm going to go back to
modelling. I? m probably a feminists worst nightmare, but at the moment I
see my job in life as looking after Ro and Jack. I agree with women who go
back to work, but we're so very lucky to be able to afford for me not to
work and I don't feel any less of a person for not working.
OK :What's Jack's best characteristic so far?
Yvonne : When you have him sussed he changes.
OK :What hopes do you have for him?
Ronan : When I hold him I wonder what he'll want to do when he grows up.
Will he be a singer, a football player or an archaeologist? He has it all in
front of him. We'll encourage him any way he wants to go
