Ronan Keating broke down in tears yesterday as he told mourners at Stephen Gately’s funeral he had “lost a brother and my wingman”. The singer said his Boyzone colleague, who died in Majorca last weekend, would be “forever young, never forgotten” and praised him for having the strength to reveal he was gay in 1999.

Keating said the band would carry on “for Stephen, but it will never the same without him”. Members of Boyzone stayed overnight with Gately’s coffin in St Laurence O’Toole church on Dublin’s Sheriff Street before yesterday’s funeral.

Mourners included Louis Walsh, Gately’s manager; members of Westlife, including former member Bryan McFadden; David Furnish, Elton John’s civil partner; Jason Donovan; Bertie Ahern; the model Glenda Gilson; presenter Vanessa Feltz; and businessman Niall O’Farrell.

A crowd of more than 1,000 gathered outside the church to listen to the service on loudspeakers. Afterwards Gately’s remains were taken to the crematorium at Glasnevin cemetery for a private family ceremony.

Keith Duffy told mourners Gately had at first been worried he was too small to join Boyzone. “He told Louis he was 5ft 7in. When he auditioned for The Hobbit later on, he said he was 5ft 3in. But he was a true giant of a man,” he said.

Mikey Graham, another member of the band, described Gately as “quiet and guarded in private” and deeply in love with Andrew Cowles, whom he married in a civil union in 2006. “Stephen’s love for Andrew was true and only last week he told me how lucky he felt to have him by his side,” Graham said. “When he came out, he finally became himself.”

Without him, Graham said, “the band is black and white”.

Fans had travelled from as far away as South Africa, Taiwan and America, Fr Declan Blake told the congregation. The parish priest said Gately “had his own troubles in life” but described him as a man of faith and family. He was enjoying life more than ever since “settling down with Andy seven years ago”.

A top hat was carried down the church as part of the offertory procession to “commemorate the special day when Stephen and Andy decided to share their lives together”.

Gary Byrne, 20, a Boyzone fan from Co Meath, credits Gately with giving him the strength to come out. “I came here today to say thank you. He was an inspiration. I came out when I was 16 and knowing that Stephen had been through the same thing helped me a lot,” said Byrne.

Charlie Morris, from Nottingham, was one of the first to arrive at the church on Sheriff Street, having arrived on Friday afternoon. Morris spent Friday night in a sleeping bag on the street, sustained by cups of tea from locals.

“Stephen meant everything to me, I loved him,” Morris said. “I went to 20 Boyzone concerts this year and would chat with the boys afterwards. Stephen was always my favourite. He always had time for you after a gig. I hope Boyzone will go on in honour of Stephen.”

Celebrity mourners also paid their respects. “The world is a much less bright place without him,” said Furnish, a friend of Gately who attended the funeral on behalf of Elton John, who sent a bouquet of yellow flowers. Furnish, who introduced Gately to Cowles, said the singer had been full of energy and positivity.

“I think sometimes God wants the good, pure souls early and that’s the way I think of it. I can’t make sense of it any other way because he was such a good man,” he said.

Furnish also criticised media speculation about the circumstances surrounding Gately’s death. “A lot of the things that have been written are deeply insensitive,” he said. “I think they are ignorant, ill-founded and [the media] should allow him to rest in peace.”

Ahern, the former taoiseach, said he couldn’t understand the negative publicity surrounding the tragic death. “[He’s] a good guy and died of natural causes and this is his funeral, so I’ll never understand why people don’t leave these things simple,” he said.

Walsh said: “I and all of Boyzone are completely broken. I’ve lost one of my best friends and Boyzone have lost a brother. They supported each other in everything they did.

“The way the four guys have rallied around each other is testament to the brotherhood of the group.”

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