Ronan Keating Demands Tougher Sentencing After Brother’s Fatal Road Accident

 Irish singer Ronan Keating has renewed calls for tougher sentencing in road traffic cases following the death of his brother, Ciaran Keating, in a fatal collision in July 2023.

Ciaran, 57, was killed instantly when an Audi A3 driven by 22-year-old Dean Harte crossed into oncoming traffic near Ballymiles, between Swinford and Bohola, Co. Mayo. His wife, Anne Marie, sustained life-threatening injuries and was unable to attend his funeral.

In February 2025, Harte received a 17-month prison sentence, suspended for two years — a decision that left the Keating family outraged. Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime on Wednesday, Ronan condemned what he described as a “broken justice system” and called for legislative change.

“It will be forever etched in my mind — the call from my sister, the screams. The injustice, the heartbreak, the devastation to his wife, his children, his grandchildren. As a family, you struggle to breathe, to get through each day,” Keating said.

While stating that his family does not wish to see a young man’s life destroyed by prison, Keating insisted the priority must be preventing other families from suffering similar losses. He criticised the Garda investigation and called the sentence “disgusting,” adding that careless driving charges do not reflect the gravity of taking a life.

The court had instructed Harte to surrender his licence, but his solicitor successfully requested a week’s delay. Ciaran’s son, actor Conall Keating, expressed his anger at this, saying:

“I’d love a week with my father — even a day — just to say goodbye. We weren’t even given that.”

Conall recounted the moment he received the call from a hospital nurse, informing him both his parents had been in an accident and his father had died. He and his brother later identified their father’s body while their mother, still recovering in hospital, missed both the funeral and cremation, watching instead from her hospital bed. She continues to suffer severe PTSD and lasting injuries.

The family also questioned the classification of the offence, with Ronan noting:

“Careless driving is forgetting your indicator or failing to check your mirror — not taking someone’s life.”

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána stated that a full forensic collision investigation and vehicle examinations had been conducted.

Ronan Keating concluded his remarks by pledging to continue campaigning for reform:

“We won’t let this lie. We’ve seen other families go through the same pain, and it keeps happening. Something needs to change.”