RONAN KEATING - KEATING TEARS OVER GATELY'S DEATH

KEATING TEARS OVER GATELY'S DEATH

RONAN KEATING only came to terms with the death of BOYZONE bandmate STEPHEN GATELY when he was confronted with his coffin - branding the experience "the hardest thing" he has ever done.
Keating was devastated to learn of his friend's passing last month (Oct09), and he and his bandmates - Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham - all flew out to Majorca, Spain to bring his body back.
They spent the night before the funeral in Dublin, Ireland with Gately's coffin in St. Laurence O'Toole's church - an experience which Keating struggled with.
He tells Sky News, "To turn up on the Friday night at the funeral home was the hardest thing I think I've ever had to do in my life. And I think all the lads feel the same, I know they do.
"When I walked into the funeral home I just crumbled, as we all did. I fell to pieces. It was there that I realised he was gone, really gone and that was very hard for all of us."
Gately died at his home in Majorca, Spain on 10 October (09) from a build-up of fluid in his lungs. A coroner ruled he died from natural causes.