Ronan Keating – The long walk home - Transcript: part 1 VH1 Sunday October 2nd 2005 Please do not use this transcript without asking for permission, thank you. The video recording this transcript is written from cannot be made available for viewing on, or downloading from any website. (Phone interview with Ronan in the car) R: Yeah we walk 400 miles, it’ll take 22 days. It’s on average about 20 to 22 miles a day. It’s amazing when you actually push yourself what you can actually do. Seven years ago my mother died of breast cancer and ya know the family we all put our energy into setting up a charity which was the Marie Keating Foundation and we just wanted to make people more aware of cancer, because we feel that if mam was more aware of cancer at the early stages than she’d be still alive today. Narrator: In 1996 Marie Keating was just 50 years old and having the time of her life with her son Ronan at the height of his career. Then on the 25th September she was diagnosed with breast cancer, 17 months later she died. Now Ronan is walking the length of Ireland to speak out about the disease that killed his mother and to raise funds for the charity set up in her name. R: Ya know it’s mad, it’s a mad thing to do, walk from the top of Ireland to the bottom. I remember turning up at the meeting with a big map of Ireland. I said I’m gonna walk Ireland and they all kinda went ok next on the agenda and I took out a point on the map at the top to the bottom and found a route. And they all thought I was taking the mick. Narrator: The journey will take him from Giants Causeway on the north coast through Belfast and down across the border, finishing up 22 days later at the Old Head of Kinsale on the south coast of County Cork. (The start) R: We’re gonna try and raise 150 this time maybe we’ll raise 200 who knows, but the main reason we’re out here is to create awareness, cancer awareness more then anything else. Here we go this is it; we’ve worked for the last few months to get to this point, 400 miles ahead of us, all of Ireland. It’s freezing cold but it’s a good vibe Here we go 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 let’s go! (On the road) R: Christ almighty are we really doing this or is this a joke? I’m gonna wake up in a minute. (Soundtrack – I love it when we do) Narrator: Ronan’s persuaded three of his closest friends to take three weeks out of their busy lives and to join him on the walk. R: A very important part of the whole walk is the team. The four guys, the four of us Steve Jones, Alex Delves, Barrie Knight and myself. With Barrie Knight I’ve been working with him for 10/11 years. He’s a bodyguard basically; the security there’s no better person to have on the walk because he’s got a heart of gold, always up for a laugh. I’ve been working with Alex for nearly 10 or 11 years. Alex started with Boyzone, a hairdresser, started doing make-up and then started styling us and now does the same for me. We’ve had great laughs Alex and I together we’ve travelled the world together as I have with Barrie. Steve is a singer/songwriter himself, he also plays in the band. We know how to have a laugh together but at the same time we’ve worked together and he knows when work is work and a laugh is a laugh. It’s scary to think we were going from the top of Ireland to the bottom, you knew that all of those miles were ahead of you. And you know that the weather is gonna be terrible (laughs). (On the road) R: How many miles Linda?! (She’s walking ahead) Linda: 5/6 R: 5/6 is it? (Laughs) Narrator: Ronan’s Sister Linda is in charge of the day to day logistics and the management of the whole walk. R: She’s brilliant she just keeps everybody going, whatever we needed it was there, the cars being ready and the hotel rooms, and the keys everything. She was our tour manager for the whole 3 weeks ya know, we were her walkers. Narrator: The team’s support vehicle is a three tonne Bel Air Winnebago driven by Gerry, Ronan’s dad. R: Me dad’s ya know, it’s a very important part of it having him there too. It is the Marie Keating Foundation and dad was her husband and it’s very important to him and very important to us that he’s a part of the walk. For a living he drives trucks so it was the best role for him and he was happy to do it, was drive the Winnie. He doesn’t ask anything of anyone he just gets up there and drives and it’s an incredibly important part of it, because the Winnie is our haven, it has to be there for us and ready and have it ready every time. (Refreshment break in the Winnie - Ronan holds up a sandwich to camera) R: Elevenses, soft white bread, cheese and ham, coleslaw a very special sandwich. Barrie: (Taking a cup of tea) Lovely, Ow that’s hot! (Steve now on camera with Ronan talking in a posh silly voice) R: Welcome to tea on Tuesdays (Laughs) Steve: Tea: a drink that has been refined by man for thousands of years and they get it in a plastic cup made in about 2 miles an hour. I came back from London last night I brought my Wedgwood (Holds up a china cup and saucer and everyone laughs) R: (Talking in silly posh voice again) we have been joined by Mr Steve Jones tea extraordinaire, he has travelled to Far East India (More laughs) S: Graham Norton (Meaning he sounds like him) R: To find the most extraordinary teas S: (Proudly shows the camera his new teapot) I bought this in a wee hardware shop Cheers (Tips cup to camera) ah marvellous.
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