Introducing... the Filan Family
After meeting Shane's brother's Liam and Finbarr and his godson Killian (Finbarr's kid) up at the stables on the edge of town, we're famished! Heading for the Filans' famous Sligo restaurant seems like a good bet and as we plonk ourselves down t#at the best table in the house Shane's lovely mum and dad join us for a chinwag about their youngest son.
How long have you run the restaurant?
Shane's Mum, Mae: About 32 years now.
Shane's Dad, Peter: We came here straight after the honeymoon!
Mae: We've raised seven children here. Four boys and three girls and all the children have worked in the restaurant, Shane included. They all went to school of course and then on to college but when they came home in the holidays they'd do their bit to help out.
How young was Shane when he first helped out here?
Peter: Shane's worked here with us since he was about five up until just two years ago. When he was really young he'd run messages but when he was older he'd be here virtually every summer. He worked every night often until two in the morning. Even now that he's in Westlife, if he comes home he's standing here behind the chip counter the same as ever.
Is Shane a good worker?
Mae: Shane's a good worker at times although when he was younger he'd often prefer to go out and play football. He'd come in for a short while and help us out when we were really busy.
Peter: He'd clear tables and take the money mostly. I think he's a better waiter than he is a cook. He's fabulous on the tables. Fabulous!
You have shelves full of trophies upstairs. Do they all belong to Shane?
Mae: Well, they're mostly from the showjumping contests which the four boys won, including Shane. The boys were very much into the showjumping while Shane's sisters all did Irish dancing. They used to travel all over the country for competitions.
What else was Shane interested in as a child?
Mae: He was into football and rugby, he'd play all the different sports but he was into kick boxing in a big way and when he was eight he won a kick boxing competition.
Peter: We had plenty of Bruce Lee videos on the go!
Has Shane always shown a love for singing?
Peter: When he started to talk he was singing. He was always singing! Sometimes he was supposed to be studying but you'd here him singing away!
Mae: When he was four he made himself a little mike. Here it is! (Holds up a six-inch-long, mike shaped object covered in black sticky tape!) His first ever mike.
You've still got it?!
Mae: We've kept it all this time. I'm not sure why but there's something special about it. He used to sing Billy Joel songs into it and later on when he was seven he graduated to singing Michael Jackson songs and we bought him a proper mike.
Did you know he was going to be a star one day?
Mae: I always knew he'd do something, whether it was acting or singing, but I never dreamt it would all happen so quickly for him.
Peter: He always took part in a lot of shows when he was at school and we'd go along and watch him every time. We always sat near enough in the front row. That's when Shane got to know Kian.
Mae: They did a production of Grease together in the secondary school. Shane played Danny, the lead part. John Travolta took that part in the film.
And Shane and Kian became life-long friends from then on...
Mae:
Yes. They started to meet up after school and became great friends.
I remember they used to sing Boyzone and Backstreet Boys songs together.
It was funny because they decided to sing two Backstreet songs during the
interim of the Grease production at school. It's from there that they
started off with the band.
Shane wants to say a huge thanks to his parents...
"My mum is the whole reason I'm doing this job. She's supported me throughout my life and guided me like a mum should. My dad's the same and we sometimes have private man to man chats. I'd like to say thank you to my parents for bringing me up the right way. They're the best."