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Boyzone bandmates to escort Stephen Gately's remains on final journey
Last updated at 07:07am on 16.10.09The body of Boyzone's Stephen Gately will make its final journey home to Dublin today for his funeral.
The singer's grief-stricken bandmates were due to fly to Majorca and escort their best friend's remains from the Spanish island back to his heartbroken parents, Martin and Margaret.
Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy will stay overnight with Gately in St Laurence O'Toole's Church after a private service for family and close friends.
Thousands of fans, celebrities and dignitaries are expected at his funeral Mass at noon on Saturday.
Gately, 33, was found dead on the sofa in his apartment in Port Andratx on the island last weekend after a night out with partner Andrew Cowles and friend Georgi Dochev.
A post-mortem examination found he died from natural causes.
Mr Dochev, who found the star's body, said he still does not know if he will attend Gately's funeral.
The 25-year-old, who had been friends with the singer since last summer, said his death had left him unstable.
"What happened that night is what happened. We know the autopsy results. He died a natural death," said Mr Dochev.
Mr Dochev said he has been comforting Mr Cowles during the week and admitted he has been nervous and stressed since the star's untimely death.
"I'm really scared of falling asleep now in case I don't wake up," he added.
Gately's remains will arrive in Dublin and be taken to Jennings funeral home, close to where he grew up in Canon Lillis Avenue, where his family will see him for the first time since his sudden death.
His coffin will later be brought a short distance through Dublin's north inner city to the church for the private service.
According to the Mirror, Boyzone - Keating, Graham, Lynch and Duffy - will sing at the funeral.
The newspaper said the four had yet to decide on the song they will perform at the service.
Yesterday they visited the chapel to discuss arrangements with parish priest Fr Declan Blake.
Gately's partner has asked that mourners make a donation to the Caudwell Children Charity, which the pop star was an ambassador of, instead of sending flowers.
Meanwhile, friends and neighbours in Dublin, still stunned at the singer's sudden death, have been cleaning the church, its grounds and surrounding area to make the terraced street shine for the return of their son.
Local councillor Nial Ring said Gately was an inspiration for children in the working-class area.
"The whole inner city would be proud of Stephen's achievements," he said. "They all know one of our own did very well and became an international star."
Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, who is also a judge on The X Factor, will miss this weekend's live shows to attend Gately's funeral. He said his friend's death had still not sunk in.
"We can't believe that we're not going to see him again. We just can't believe it," he said.
"And it hasn't sunk in with any of us. I'm keeping busy and they're keeping busy. But I know the reality tomorrow night is just going to be a hard thing to deal with, and then Saturday."
