Roy Keane in mourning after mother dies aged 79
Marie Keane passed away peacefully
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Marie Keane, the mother of former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, has died peacefully at Marymount University Hospital in Cork, her family announced on Friday.
She passed away with her loved ones by her side, receiving care from the hospital's medical staff and nurses.
The ex-United and Republic of Ireland midfielder maintained an exceptionally close relationship with his mother throughout his life, frequently returning to Cork to spend time with her.
In January 2022, he posted a photograph of the pair together during one such visit, captioning it: "The only boss I listen to."
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Marie leaves behind five children: Denis, Johnson, Hilary, Roy and Pat.
Her husband Maurice, known as "Mossie", predeceased her in 2019.
Maurice and Marie wed on 10th August 1963 and went on to raise their family in Mayfield during challenging times, though they always found a way to provide for their children.
Both parents were devoted supporters of Roy's footballing journey, attending matches as he accumulated 480 appearances for Manchester United between 1993 and 2005, whilst also representing Ireland on 67 occasions.
At Maurice's funeral in 2019, a nephew spoke of how watching Roy captain United and guide the club to numerous triumphs represented the proudest moment of his father's life.
During his dozen years at Old Trafford, Roy collected 12 major honours, with Sir Alex Ferguson once describing him as the finest player he had ever managed.
The family relocated from Mayfield to Rathpeacon, moving into a property Roy had purchased for them.
When Sir Alex Ferguson published his autobiography in 2013, criticising Roy for having a "savage tongue" and suggesting he needed to leave United after overstepping boundaries by attacking teammates on the club's television channel, Marie was quick to defend her son.
Speaking to the Irish Sun, she expressed her disbelief at the former manager's words: "God almighty, I can't believe Sir Alex would say such things about Roy. I just can't believe it."
She added: "I would have never thought he would do something like this. He's our son and he has a wife and children, and it's not nice for any of us to be hearing someone run a loved one down like that."
Marie described Ferguson's comments as "nasty" and "terrible", saying she was deeply upset by them.
The visitation will be held at O'Connor Bros. Funeral Home on North Gate Bridge on Monday, 30th March, from 6pm to 7pm.
A requiem mass will follow on Tuesday, 31st March, at 11am in the Church of the Resurrection, Farranree.
The family has asked that mourners make donations to Marymount Hospice rather than sending flowers.
Roy ensured his parents never missed watching him play after he moved to England to sign for Nottingham Forest in 1990, always securing tickets for them.
During a recent episode of Stick to Football, the former midfielder became visibly emotional whilst looking through old photographs of his parents alongside fellow presenters Ian Wright, Jill Scott and Gary Neville.