Tributes paid at Gately funeral

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Ronan Keating arriving at the church in Dublin for the service

Members of Boyzone have paid emotional tributes to former bandmate Stephen Gately at his funeral in Dublin.

"The world has lost one of it's brightest stars, we have lost our brother," Ronan Keating told mourners at St Laurence O'Toole's church.

Boyzone sang Westlife track In This Life during the service before helping to carry the coffin out of the church.

Gately was found dead at his Majorca holiday home last week. Post-mortem tests found he died of natural causes.

Keating frequently broke down as he delivered his eulogy, at one point apologising to the congregation.

Boyzone's manager Louis Walsh arrived at the church half an hour before the service and was greeted by hundreds of cheering fans.

"He would not believe the reception he's got today. He was living his dream," Walsh said.

"It's a fantastic feeling here today - we have to celebrate his life.

"He was always professional, he was so likeable. I wouldn't be where I was today if it wasn't for Boyzone. We're all in this together."

Grief-stricken

The X Factor judge will miss the ITV1 show this weekend because of the funeral.

Former Irish taoiseach Bertie Ahern, members of Boyzone and Westlife, Jason Donovan and Shayne Ward were among the mourners, joining many of Gately's close family and friends.

Hundreds of fans from as far afield as Taiwan were among the crowds, with many of them laying flowers outside the church.

"I want to say my final goodbye," said Wendy Lee, who had spent £1000 travelling from Taiwan.

Fans have laid tributes and flowers outside the church

"I am absolutely devastated."

Some fans had camped outside the church, where neighbours who lived opposite had provided pillows and cups of tea.

A large banner hung up outside the church reads: "Farewell Stephen from your friends. RIP".

The remaining members of Boyzone had stayed with Gately's body in the church overnight - singer Ronan Keating came out to thank fans for their support in the early hours of the morning before going back inside.

"They brought a bottle of wine in, they cried, they laughed, they cried, they are a very close bunch of mates," said Boyzone backing musician James McNally.

He was gorgeous, beautiful, a lovely man, gentle, caring. Boyzone won't be complete without him Fan Tracy Morris from Sheffield

"Stephen inspired you to be happy - you just wanted to hug him when you saw him. He stuck out and was someone you'd never forget," he added.

Messages of condolences were received from George Michael, David and Victoria Beckham, Simon Cowell, Take That, Westlife, U2, Robbie Williams, Cheryl Cole, Colin Farrell, Sharon Osborne, Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem.

David Furnish arrived at the church and explained his partner Elton John was in Zurich on tour and could not break his contractual commitments but "was very much there there in spirit".

Loudspeakers relayed the ceremony to well-wishers outside.

Instead of flowers, mourners have been asked to make donations to the Caudwell Children Charity, for which Gately was an ambassador.

Gately was found dead on a sofa in his Majorcan home, aged 33

His grief-stricken bandmates escorted the late singer's body back to his hometown on Friday.

The group arrived at Dublin Airport as Gately's family and close friends paid their respects at a private service on Friday night.

Parents Margaret and Martin, his brothers Mark, Alan and Tony and his sister Michelle, his partner Andrew Cowles and Louis Walsh all attended the ceremony.

The singer will be cremated at Glasnevin Cemetery before 450 guests attend a funeral party in a hotel in the city.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 complaints have been made to the Press Complaints Commission about a Daily Mail column written by Jan Moir on Gately's death.

Moir's article said Gately's death struck a blow to the "happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships".

But in a statement Moir said it was "mischievous" to suggest her article had homophobic undertones.