Keelin ‘wanted to leave a record behind’
THE memoirs of the late RTÉ Six One presenter Keelin Shanley will be published this October, it has been announced.
Ms Shanley, who wrote the book in the last few months of her life, died in February earlier this year, aged 51, following a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
She writes in the book how she ‘is leaving something for those who love her to hold on to’.
Publisher Gill Books revealed the book will be called A Light That Never Goes Out, which is a play on The Smiths’ song There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. The Smiths were one of her favourite bands when she first met her husband
Conor Ferguson, who completed the last chapter of the book after Keelin died.
He said on the announcement of the book: ‘Keelin lived such an extraordinary life, she has left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. Keelin wasn’t prone to nostalgia, she was upfront and a “doer” from the very beginning.
‘She always grabbed life by the reins and, as a result, didn’t have many regrets.
‘Though we miss her every day and remember her in every moment, we hope that her remarkable story will inspire people to live life to the full and put the best foot forward, no matter what obstacles life presents’.
Deirdre Nolan, commissioning editor at Gill Books, said Keelin got in touch with her in December of last year about the memoirs.
‘She was nearing the end and strongly felt she wanted to leave a record of her life behind, and we were honoured to help her do so,’ said Ms Nolan.
She said she paired Keelin with writer and editor Alison Walsh, who helped write the book.
According to Gill Books, in the introduction, Keelin writes about how she came to terms with her diagnosis of stage 4 breast cancer. She notes: ‘I realised that I am still Keelin Shanley: I still am that person, in spite of everything. In spite of the wig, the scarves, the IV lines, the tests: mum, wife, news presenter, daughter, sister, stepdaughter – I am all of those things. And that’s why I decided to write this book: to remind me of who I am, and to leave those who love me something to hold on to.’
The book is set to be published on October 2.
‘Honoured to help her’