A happy event is set to happen on the 25th of May, and that is the release of the third Boyzone album, Where We Belong. Boyzone have written and produced 13 new songs, and even recorded a version of the song, Baby Can I Hold You Tonight. Their new single, All That I Need, will be release at the end of March in the United States as well as the rest of the world, in hopes of conquering the American music industry.

SHANE LYNCH: Until recently, you hadn't even confirmed that you'd been dating Easther Bennet from Eternal. Why is that? "I think it's because the fans want to believe that you're 'theirs' only. For them, you're a fantasy, the guy they want to be with, and when you have a girlfriend, it makes them drift apart from you." (We're being ever so modest, aren't we?)

If you two have a baby girl, what will you call her? "I've always liked the name Drew, you know, because of Drew Barrymore? Drew is a great name for a girl or a boy. Winona and Shawna are also great names for girls."

Tell us, what hides under your bed? "Nothing. My bed is very low, and you can't fit anything underneath it--not even a pin."

What toppings do you like on your pizza? "The truth is, I don't eat a whole lot of pizza, but when I order one, my toppings are extra cheese, onions, tomatoes and ham."

Is there anything you've done with Boyzone that you regret now? "I regret wearing that mini-skirt on national TV. I'm not completely sorry about it, because I was with my pals, Boyzone, and I got to where I am today as a result of that, I guess."

Do you like hanging out in amusement parks? "Not anymore. I get sick from riding on all those ghost trains and merry-go-rounds, and when I get off the rides, my feet start shaking and I can't walk straight."

When was the last time you made someone cry? "That's hard to say, because many people have cried over me. It's not that I'm mean or anything. I'm just being honest, and I say what I think. But I do that only when I'm asked on my opinon of things, never on my own."

When was the last time you got drunk? "When I was 15, during a trip to Portugal. I drank a lot of shandy (beer mixed with lemonade), and I fell asleep on the beach, under a boat that'd turned over."

I love your "pineapple" 'do. Who did it for you? "We were in Baharain, it was boiling outside and my hair was buggin' me. A nice lady on the beach offered to braid my hair. I loved it, and when we got back home I asked our hairdresser if he'd make my 'do look a bit more professional. The only problem with this pineapple hairdo is that I can't walk down the street alone. Everyone recognizes me now!"

Do you read everything that's written about you, even the tabloids and all the gossip? "I read almost everything. Me mum collects anything that written about us and staples all the articles into one big album. I don't mind if someone doesn't like us or our songs. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion."

Do you still have that special bond with Ronan? "Absolutely. We've bonded even more, these past few months. Ronan loves the showbiz, like I do. It's only natural that we'd be close, because Keith and Mikey both have kids, and when our tours end they hurry on home to see them, and Stephen goes back home to his parents' and his family, so Ro and me stick together, more or less. He and I feel pretty comfortable anywhere we are. If he's a little down, I cheer him up, and vice-versa."

You guys work pretty hard. Aren't you tired of the whole deal, sometimes? "Look, my dad works hard to support our family, too--he goes to work at 6:00am every day and comes back home at night. I'm very lucky to be working with something I love, and I mustn't complain about the hard work."

What do you say about the fact that tens of thousands of girl fans love you? "It sure flatters me to know that posters of me are hung in many girls' rooms, and that they dream of me, and are anxious to date me, as well.. I know, because I acted and felt the same way about other singers when I was their age. Of course, I dreamt about girl singers..."

RONAN KEATING: What do you do with your shoes when you come home? "I just toss them somewhere. I am a very untidy person, so what can you do? I'm just terrible, guilty as charged. Everything is thrown all over the place on my floor."

You once wore a dress. What did that fell like? "I wore a mini-dress on a TV show when we all did a parody of the Spice Girls. I think I looked ok in my white dress, but I didn't like the blonde wig they gave me to wear. The color didn't suit me."

What hides under your bed? "I'm afraid to find out. There's an enormous mess under there, lots of empty shoeboxes and stuff like that."

Do you like pineapples? "I've never tried one, but I like Shane's 'pineapple' hair-do!"

What color do you like your toilet paper to come in? "I don't buy toilet paper. Not because I don't use any...I just don't go shopping. White's fine with me--it suits the color of the bathroom in my house. I love Marks 'n' Spencer's brand--white with patterns."

If Boyzone were called the Spice Boys (Noooooooooooooo!!!), what would your nick-name be? "Nice Spice, because I'm not nice at all.."

What are your personal resolutions this year? "I'd like to find a nice girl, go steady with her and settle down. I may be young, but I've been through some hard times (His mother, grandmother and cousin all died a while ago and it was very hard on poor Ro), and I feel lonely. I want to find a girl that I feel really close to. After you tour the world for a long time, you want to come home to a woman who loves you."

Will you stop partying in clubs until the break of dawn, then? "Yeah, I'm sick of that stuff. We've had enough partying, and I guess this is the time to slow it down a bit. It's kind of sad when a guy like me, who's only 21, says something like that, isn't it?"

Not that you've tried to hide the fact that you love partying and having a wild time, but for many fans, this came as a surprise.. "For some reason, there are a lot of people out there who think we're 'just another boyband'. The truth is, Boyzone can compete with Oasis when it comes to wild partying, drinking, clubbing and stuff like that. But now the public is starting to get the real picture, and that's fine with us. We've always said that we're crazy..."

But now you say that it's time to slow down the pace. "Slow down the pace, yes, but not disappear entirely off the map. You have to look out for your health more. I, more than others, am a regular client of emergency rooms in hospitals all around the world."

You've bought a new house, but you don't live in it--is that right? "That's true. I'd bought a new summer house, but I decided to sell it because it was just too darn small. I'm looking for a house with a large grassy area, for my horses."

What would you like to learn this year? "I've already taken up Spanish. and I hope to improve. For the meantime I know how to say 'hello' and 'good-bye'..."

How much longer does Boyzone have till you guys break up? "We all know Boyzone isn't going to last forever. For now, our music matures with us, so there's absolutely no reason why we shouldn't continue to journey together for a lot longer."

What's the best thing about being "Ronan from Boyzone"? "The fact that my friends and I can go up on stage and bring so much joy to so many people, through the one thing we all love: our music. It's really amazing, when you think about it. Sometimes I go up on stage and get shivers of excitement just thinking about it."

Have you ever been to a fortune-teller? "No. I don't believe in fortune-tellers, palm-readings or stuff like that. I believe in God, because only God knows what you're going to expect. That's the reason why I'm not interested in in knowing my fate and my future. I also don't read horoscopes."

KEITH DUFFY: Who does the cleaning in your house? "Whoever's there at the time. I like to have many friends over. I don't have a housekeeper, because I don't like strangers hanging around my house."

Have you ever sang karoke? "Sure-I sang in karoke pubs in Dublin. My usual song was Crocodile Rock by Elton John."

What is the most dangerous sport you've ever played? "It's called 'hurling' and it's very similar to baseball (Hello..). Once I cracked my head open because I didn't aim the bat well. Anther time, I broke my hand during a game."

Have you ever gotten in trouble with the law? "No, but I got arrested once because my license plate number was dirty, or just to check my insurance. I once got arrested because the cops claimed that my tail pipe was too wide."

When was the last time you apologised to someone? "Actually, not very long ago. I had an arguement with a man I care about very much, and when I realised I was wrong, I had no problem apologising. I know when I have to apologise. But if I'm sure that I was right, I won't be willing to apologise at any cost."

Don't you ever feel that you're getting too old for the 'biz? "It's true that I have a seniority in this profession. People say Boyzone have a limited 'length of service', but we really don't care what people say about us. Our fans don't think we're too old. All those tabloid newspapers and cheesy gossip column writers that write cruel things about us, don't buy our records and don't come to our concerts anyway. As long as the fans still love us, we'll continue to do what we're doing now."

Do you see yourself settling down anytime soon? "It won't happen anytime soon. Altough I'm already a father to my son, Jordan, and I have a girlfriend, I can't stay at home too long--I have a burning desire to go outside and perform. Even if Boyzone break up, I will stay in the music business, so I can continue this lifestyle."

Is there anything you've done that you regret doing? "No. It's obvious that I've made mistakes, but I'm not willing to waste time surrounding myself in self-pity. Besides, my mistakes are a part of me, part of who I am. These last four years have been a continuing intellectual experience."

Is there anything you'd like to study? "I started out as a drummer in a rock band, but I haven't drummed in quite a while, and I want to take that up again."

Don't you feel like cutting your hair? "No! When I had my buzz-cut people kept thinking I was a skinhead, so I grew my hair, because long hair gives me this killer mellow kind of look."

MIKEY GRAHAM: When was the last time you went horse-back riding? "When we filmed the video for Isn't It A Wonder, in an Australian desert. I love riding horses, but I don't have a lot of time for that right now."

What is the most dangerous sport you've ever played? "Before Boyzone I was way into kick-boxing, and I broke my nose three times!"

Who does the cleaning in your house? "I do. I won't have other people clean my house. I first thing I see when I come home from a long and exhausting tour or something like that, is an opened suitcase full of dirty laundry, thrown on the floor."

What do you listen to on your car stereo? "Any classical music record, the Fugees, Michael Jackson and Toni Braxton."

How would you sum up 1997 in a few words? "'97 was a very intensive year, but definitely a fun one. I especially enjoyed our tour in Asia and Australia. We've already conquered the music industry in Britain and the rest of Europe. This year, we're hitting America--BIG time. We've been bustin' our butts for four years now and it'd be nice if we could slow down the pace, relax and just enjoy life."

Are you going to change your image this year? "I'm definitely going to make some changes. This year, you're going to see a brand-new Mikey: thinner, stronger and better-looking. Not that I'm going to exercise myself silly in a gym, I'm just going to eat less."

Don't you feel that maybe you've outgrown the business? "Sometimes. But I felt the same way four years ago when we first started the band and I was 21. Sometimes I catch myself in amazement and say, 'God, I'm 25, a father, and I still keep doing what I've been doing for the past four years.' I ask myself if the time's come for me to get more serious, and that maybe this is the right time to get married. I just have to find the right woman. Some day, I'm sure, I'll find my one true love."

What would you like to do this year? "I've written a few songs, and I'd like to record them this year. I'd like to try a solo career outside of the band, get a part in a movie, see how I am as an actor. I have this one dream: To record a duet with Sting. I haven't met him personally yet, but a man can dream, can't he?"

Your daughter, Hannah, is already two years old. Have you gotten used to the fact that you're a father? "It's really hard for me to realise that she's such a big girl, already! My, how time flies! We're very busy, and every time I go home I am surprised to see how much Hannah's grown. As time goes by, it's harder for me to be apart from her, and it's hard on me when I'm away, especially if she's ill."

Ronan and Stephen get the most attention from the fans. Does that bother you? "The truth? Yes, it does. I'm just as good a singer as they are. It's just that our manager's decided that Ronan and Stephen will be 'in front' and the others a little 'in back'. But I promise that in the near future you'll see and hear a lot more more from me. Everyone wants their chance in the spotlight, no? I do too."

STEPHEN GATELY: What is the most dangerous sport you've ever played? "Jumping off a high cliff without a parachute, the target being staying alive even after your head hits the ground..no, I'm just kidding. I don't 'do' dangerous sports, except for sailing. But that just gets dangerous if the boat tips over."

Who does the cleaning in your house? "My mother, and I try to help as much as I can. She usually asks me to do the dishes, so I do them willingly."

What do you listen to on your car stereo? "Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope album."

What soap operas do you fancy? "Friends. It is a soap opera, isn't it? Maybe it isn't to a lot of other people, but I think it really is one. Who do I like the most from Friends? Phoebe. I'm been told that I'm as nuts as Phoebe. I really like her song, 'Smelly Cat'..."

Do you prefer coffee or tea? "I'm not crazy about tea, and I never cared much for coffee until Ronan made me try it, and I got hooked. I drink coffee in the morning, when I'm really tired and worn out."

What's your favorite computer game? "Hercules and Tomb Rider II. I also like playing Wipe-Out, which is sort of like a futuristic car-racing game."

What is the strangest compliment you've ever gotten? "Fans that have seen me walk down hotel lobbys bare-footed have told me that I have 'cool feet'. Nice compliment, but kind of weird, huh?"

Have you bought anything lately? "I recently bought a mini-disc player in Tokyo. It's this little gadget that lets you not only listen to discs, but record over them in excellent quality, too."

What was the nicest thing that's happened to you last year? "No doubt about it--the song we recorded for the soundtrack of Bean and the video we shot with Rowan Atkinson. Can I mention one more thing? The song Shooting Star that I recorded for the soundtrack of Hercules. That was a dream come true for me. If I get a part in a movie, that'd be another dream come true. After Boyzone break up I plan to start an acting career."

You've recently released a new book on the band, Boyzone Go East. There are so many books on Boyzone, why bother releasing another one? "The other books were published without our permission, they weren't official and we have nothing to do with them. This book was written during our tour in South-East Asia and it allows fans to get to know a place in the world that many don't know what goes on there. Bands usually release books about their tours in America or Europe, but we wanted to be creative."

What does a girl have to do to make you notice her? "Simple--she just has to be the way she is, not be artificial. Romance is not just flowers, candlelight dinners, expensive gifts and going out. Romance is expressed in little things, like personal gestures and likewise."

What was the crappiest gift you've ever been given? "I got back home from this tour we did, and found this huge package that our record company sent me. I was sure it was a new stereo or VCR. Inside was a picnic set! Record companies are known for giving big and useless gifts..."

Will Boyzone make a movie, too? "Actually, we were offered to mkae a film way back in '95, but we passed because we wanted to comcentrate on making music. Maybe we''ll consider it again in the future. Right now, we're continuing to bse ourselves as a pop group."

What can you tell me about the new album? "As you probably know, we're not afraid to try different kinds of music, and that's heard in the album. Personally, I was more involved in the song-writing this time".