Goodbye to Stephen Gately
- 00:00:56
- ITN
Goodbye to Stephen Gately
About 1,000 mourners have lined the streets where Stephen Gately grew up in a send-off to the late Boyzone star. Stars joined close family and neighbourhood friends in St Laurence O'Toole Church in north Dublin for an emotional farewell. X-factor judge Louis Walsh, who founded the band in the mid-90s, said: "It's a difficult day but we have to celebrate his life. It's an incredible atmosphere in the church, all his best friends are there, his family are there, it's what he would have wanted. He was just a great person." The remaining bandmates, Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy spent the night in the church holding a wake for Gately.The four plan to sing at the service. Members of Westlife, Sir Elton John's partner David Furnish and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern attended the service, relayed on loudspeakers outside. Hundreds of residents, carrying single roses prepared for their own special floral tribute to the pop star. Gately was found dead on the sofa in his apartment in Port Andratx after a night out with Mr Cowles and friend Georgi Dochev. A post mortem found he died from pulmonary oedema or fluid on the lungs. His body was flown home on a private plane with his partner Andrew Cowles and the remaining Boyzone members, who have had tattoos in honour of Gately with the letter "S" and the dates "76 09", the years of his birth and death.
ITN | October 17, 2009
