London (PTI): The success of his latest album 'Songs For My Mother' has surprised Irish singer Ronan Keating, which he wrote as a tribute to his mother.

The album has shot to number one in UK and Ireland in less than two weeks.

"It was a side project while I was working on another album," Keating said in an interview to the Telegraph.

The former 'Boyzone' star, felt that the success was more heartening as it means more funds for 'The Marie Keating Foundation,' a breast-cancer charity that he started after his mother died of the disease 10 years ago.

Keating has been in Australia this week to promote his album and raise awareness about the importance of early detection for preventing breast cancer.

"People need to wake up to themselves and stop saying, "It won't happen to me," Keating said.

"Since we started the Marie Keating Foundation there has been a six per cent increase in the survival rate in breast cancer in Ireland, which means that it's working," the Irish-born singer added.

The 32-year-old singer trekked across Ireland twice for his foundation and, two months ago, he climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with other celebrities to raise funds for malaria work in Tanzania, a feat that has so far raised more than USD 3 million.