Ronan Keating has reflected on the loss of his brother five weeks ago (Picture: Instagram)

Ronan Keating has shared an emotional message following the death of his beloved brother.

The Irish star referred to the past few weeks as ‘the hardest time’ for his family after Ciaran was killed in a car crash on July 15 while on his way to watch his son, Ruairí, play for Cork City FC against Sligo Rovers FC.

His funeral was then held on July 20, with fellow Boyzone members in attendance to support their grieving bandmate.

While Ronan has made a few public appearances since the tragic and sudden loss of his brother, he has now issued a proper statement for the first time.

Taking to Instagram, the musician shared a series of sweet snaps of his family on safari and taking in the sights in South Africa.

His caption read: ‘Hey Everyone. Just wanted to say thank you for the love and respect you have shown my family over the last 5 weeks. It has been the hardest time for us all, and everyone is trying to manage a life now without our brother (very hard to even type that 💔).

‘Thank you for all your messages of support and also respecting our privacy during this time. There is no more fitting a place to heal, than in South Africa surrounded by Mother Nature and great people and our little bundles of joy Cooper and Coco, have kept us going constantly. Thank you god.’

‘Back to work for me in another part of the world I love now… it all seems rather difficult to make sense of but trying my best’, he added.

Ronan signed off: ‘Take care of each other and from Storm, myself and all my family, thank you.’

More to come.

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‘Everyone is trying to manage a life now without our brother.’