Post by Helen on May 30, 2005 13:50:18 GMT
Sunday Mirror-22nd May 2005
POP STAR Ronan Keating has blasted his home town and decided to by-pass it on his cancer charity walk.
The chart-topper branded Dublin "terrible", said he was "disappointed" with the amount of cash Dubs handed over on his last nationwide walk two years ago and claimed he felt let-down.
So this year the former Boyzone frontman decided to by-pass it completely and go to towns he missed last time.
Ronan - a born and bred Dub - said: "We're not going near Dublin this time. We're going straight through Kells and Mullingar because Dublin was very quiet last time, to be honest it was a bit of a let-down.
"It was the most disappointing city on the walk, it was terrible and I was really disappointed - so this time I said 'what's the point?'
"The thing is that Dublin sees this kind of thing all the time with people pushing pigs and beds through Grafton Street for some charity or another; the other cities don't which I guess is why they appreciate it a bit more.
"The least amount of money was raised in Dublin on the last walk, it's no big deal to me the fact that it's my home city and at the end of the day we don't give a service in Dublin - the Marie Keating Foundation gives a service throughout Ireland and I want to walk through the cities that are supportive."
And the celebrity walker has also hit out at fair weather supporters.
Ronan said: "Compared to last time the crowds have really built up.
"Obviously you get the most people at the beginning and the end and because of this these become the best bits of the walk.
"We call these people the glory hunters.
"Nobody wants to be there on the wet days in the middle of Ireland but I do, I want to be there for that and so do the real full-time walkers."
The 420-mile walk, 40 miles longer than last time, is from the Giant's Causeway to the Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork and lasts 22 days.
Children are the hardest to meet. Yesterday I met a wee girl at the Europa - Laura - who was diagnosed with cancer and she has had a bone removed in the
arm and the leg and then I met another wee girl in Ballymena who was also diagnosed but she was fighting it and getting through it which was amazing,
so inspiring
POP STAR Ronan Keating has blasted his home town and decided to by-pass it on his cancer charity walk.
The chart-topper branded Dublin "terrible", said he was "disappointed" with the amount of cash Dubs handed over on his last nationwide walk two years ago and claimed he felt let-down.
So this year the former Boyzone frontman decided to by-pass it completely and go to towns he missed last time.
Ronan - a born and bred Dub - said: "We're not going near Dublin this time. We're going straight through Kells and Mullingar because Dublin was very quiet last time, to be honest it was a bit of a let-down.
"It was the most disappointing city on the walk, it was terrible and I was really disappointed - so this time I said 'what's the point?'
"The thing is that Dublin sees this kind of thing all the time with people pushing pigs and beds through Grafton Street for some charity or another; the other cities don't which I guess is why they appreciate it a bit more.
"The least amount of money was raised in Dublin on the last walk, it's no big deal to me the fact that it's my home city and at the end of the day we don't give a service in Dublin - the Marie Keating Foundation gives a service throughout Ireland and I want to walk through the cities that are supportive."
And the celebrity walker has also hit out at fair weather supporters.
Ronan said: "Compared to last time the crowds have really built up.
"Obviously you get the most people at the beginning and the end and because of this these become the best bits of the walk.
"We call these people the glory hunters.
"Nobody wants to be there on the wet days in the middle of Ireland but I do, I want to be there for that and so do the real full-time walkers."
The 420-mile walk, 40 miles longer than last time, is from the Giant's Causeway to the Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork and lasts 22 days.
Children are the hardest to meet. Yesterday I met a wee girl at the Europa - Laura - who was diagnosed with cancer and she has had a bone removed in the
arm and the leg and then I met another wee girl in Ballymena who was also diagnosed but she was fighting it and getting through it which was amazing,
so inspiring
