Boyzone star Keith Duffy is known for his 20 years as a singer, actor, and presenter - and the Donaghmede native is also a devoted family man.
Beginning his singing career with Boyzone in 1993, Keith joined his fellow bandmates as Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately as they took the Irish charts by storm with catchy bangers 'Love Me For A Reason' and 'No Matter What.' In 1998, Keith married Lisa Smith in Las Vegas with bandmate Ronan acting as his best man during the ceremony.
Keith and wife Lisa would go on to have two children, son Jay, 26, and daughter Mia, 22. Earlier this week, Keith was delighted to attend his daughter Mia's graduation ceremony in DCU as she received her degree in Enterprise Computing. We look at Keith Duffy's family life with his wife and two kids as they celebrate this milestone week.
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Marriage to wife Lisa Smith
In 1998, Keith proposed to Lisa Smith and the couple were married in Las Vegas on June 24. Keith's best man was his good friend and Boyzone bandmate Ronan Keating.
In June, Keith shared lovely throwback pics of himself and Lisa, as he paid loving tribute to her and their 24 years of marriage. He wrote on Instagram:"24 years ago today on the 24th Of June in The Little white Chapel Las Vegas I married the love of my life.
"Happy anniversary Smithy." Keith also thanked Lisa for all she's done for him and their family, writing: "Thank you for all you do and thank you for our amazing children @jayduffy and @miad20001151."
Keith and Lisa purchased a stunning five bedroom home in Swords for a reported €1 million back in 2004 and put the home up for sale in 2015 for €1.3 million. However, the family chose not to sell and are now permanently living in the gorgeous home.
Daughter Mia's autism diagnosis and journey to degree
Keith's daughter Mia who born in 2000, and when she was a baby she was diagnosed with autism. Over the years since Mia's diagnosis of autism, Keith has immersed himself in learning more about autism and also in raising awareness about the condition.
He set up a charity called Irish Autism Action for children with autism and their families, and the charity also lobbied the government for a special school for children with autism that his daughter Mia would later attend in primary school.
The charity lobbied the government to set up a special school for children with autism in Co Meath which Mia later attended. In addition, Keith set up the Keith Duffy Foundation which supports many children's charities, and in 2014 he also received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons for his work.
Last year, Keith opened up about the long battle for Mia to be diagnosed with autism. During an appearance on Lorraine, he told stand-in Cat Deeley: "We knew nothing about autism at the time, we hadn't a clue about what we were even looking for, so that was an even bigger obstacle for us to climb.
"When she was about 18 months old, this word autism kept coming into our lives, and we were put on a waiting list for diagnosis of two-and-a-half years, and yet anybody you speak to will tell you early intervention is essential for any child on the spectrum," he added.
On Tuesday, Keith proudly shared the happy news that Mia, 22, had graduated with a degree in Enterprise Computing from DCU. He described the the day as an important milestone for their family and that he and his wife Lisa were “the proudest parents in the world.”
Keith wrote on Instagram: "We are blessed for all your support. Mia was given every opportunity to reach her full potential and never took 'No' for an answer from anyone along the way. Mia has always pushed herself and worked hard to achieve her goals and continues to do so."
Meanwhile, Mia also hailed DCU following her graduation ceremony praising the college for its status as Ireland’s first autism friendly university. She also said she would recommend the university to other students due to its inclusive atmosphere.
Son Jay and budding acting career
Keith's son 26-year-old Jay is their oldest child, and like his dad seems to have taken an interest in the world of showbiz. Jay previously starred in Hollyoaks in a part-time role, and he played the character of Declan Brady on the Channel 4 soap between 2011 and 2012.
He also appeared in tv shows Vikings and Derry Girls over the years. Earlier this year, The Irish Mirror reported that Jay is to take on the US after landing a major new role. Proud dad Keith said at the time: "He’s an actor, so he could be working for six months and have six months off. Jay’s had years of anxiety over whether or not he made the right choice.”
“He’s done lots of stuff but you’re constantly waiting on that big one to arrive. Now he’s landed it. A really big one.”
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