Boyzone Tribute To Dearest Friend Stephen Gately (Ronan Keating speaks)

Ronan Keating has said "nothing will ever be the same without our dearest friend" in an emotional statement given ahead of Stephen Gately's body being returned.
Speaking in Majorca on behalf of Boyzone, Keating said: "We have had countless messages of love and support. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

He also said the future of the band was "too hard to think about" as their world had "changed forever".

The bandmates have flown to the Spanish island to take Gately's body back to Dublin.

They will spend the night watching over their friend inside St Laurence O'Toole's church on the street where Gately grew up, after the singer's mother asked them to.

"Stephen's mother didn't want him to be alone in the dark, so Ronan, Keith, Mikey and Shane have stepped up and will sit with Stephen's body," manager Louis Walsh told Sky News Online.

"He was like their little brother and they want to be a friend to him in death as he was to them in life.

"Stephen was a beautiful young man and we can't believe he has gone."
Mass will be held at the church this evening after the singer's body arrives and a funeral service will be held at midday on Saturday.

Volunteers have been working to tidy up the grounds of the small church ahead of the arrival of the mourners.

Celebrity friends including Westlife, Gary Barlow and David Furnish will accompany Stephen's family and friends to the service.

The singer's coffin will be carried into the church by his four bandmates and two of his brothers.

Parts of the Irish capital are expected to come to a standstill as Dublin remembers the boy from Sheriff Street who achieved fame and fortune but never forgot his roots.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Boyzone
• Tribute
• To
• Dearest
• Friend
• Stephen
• Gately

[NicolaMG]

still to this day i cry about stephen, taken when he was at his most happiest in his life, god needed him,,, and as shane said in sky news interview,, we may not know why at this time,, thru confusion and anger,,, but all will come clear in the future,, there is a bigger picture (as quoted by shane)... stephen is not gone,,, his spirit is still with the boyz, he is looking down on them, guiding them, and god really gained an angel with stephen,,,, it will take years for ppl to get used to this

[jkrowing1234]

a man died at 33 years old a man that ment a lot to his fellow band members and his family all you can do it call him a dick and stuff? dude grow up?

[arniemonkey]

something fishy about him dying just hasnt really been explainedhas it

[Lucksta2502]

I miss ya Steo your forever in our hearts and also mine love you forever gone but not forgotten mate i hope when i come up there mate i see ya love ya always R.I.P :(

[artyamy]

its been over 2 years but i still cry for stephen. he was such a massive part of my childhood, and i will always love him and miss him. huge loss to the world, there is a massive void in my life since stephen died, and although i never met him he meant everything to me and i'll never get over the fact that part of my childhood has been taken, a wonderful husband has been taken away from andrew, a son from his parents, a brother from his siblings and the lads in bz, my heart goes out to them all

[dddddd2005]

sooooo sad!!!! couldn't believe it. i know you don't want to leave us so soon. poor andrew; he is so young to lose. hopefully he is fine; stand strong and brave; and he is. thank you andrew and ronan; you all the best. love u all. r.i.p. stephen patrick david gately. miss u always steo. god bless andrew and ronan.

[jason31ful]

the best band i loved right from childhood im 33

[Exxcessivve]

What's all this about "god".

It is highly unlikely for a "god" to exist..

[vinnyvinny2008]

Anyone who wrote a negative comment, REMEMBER ONE THING......GOD DON'T

SLEEP AND..HE DON'T LIKE UGLY....and YOU are more than UGLY...You wish someone cared enough about you to keep all this love going...RIP Stephen

we all love you...God needed you too.

[TheIpatnano]

@longdongdude cant you at least respect a dead guy? if you hate him so much then just dont go this page. and what is so wrong about being gay? that is who he is. is it wrong? i tell you that you bashing a dead guy who is greatly loved is definitely wrong. but stephen being gay? he didnt hurt anyone did he?

[batsr99]

Deep sorrow to Stephen Gately from me on behalf of fans of Boyzone in Mongolia.

[batsr99]

Deep sorrow to Stephen Gately from me on behalf of fans of Boyzone in Mongolia.