Farewell and good bye Stephen Gately

I can be quite emotional at the very best of times and in recent weeks I have had to deal with the sudden diagnosis and then death of my Mum, that has hit me harder than I had ever realised it would.

Sometimes watching things like Holby City and Casualty are just a little too bit close to home, if they hit me then my Sister must go through nightmares during those programmes.

So, last night watching the coverage of Stephen's funeral was hard, listening to Ronan Keating breaking down was just a little too close to comfort. Stephen was just 33, say that out loud, thirty three - it is just so young - he and his partner had their lives ahead of them.

The coverage last night reminded me a little bit of Princess Diana's funeral, the thousands of people who turned up to pay their final respects, to show Stephen's family and friends that they cared as well.

We forget the impact that boybands, and popstars generally have on young people and that was why I was so delighted that Stephen came out, whatever the circumstances were that maybe forced his hand, he was supported by the remaining band members who were close then and are still today.

Yesterday Ireland and the world said goodbye to one of it's young sons, the streets of Dublin around the St Laurence O'Toole's church in North Dublin were crammed with people who wanted to say goodbye, people who lived in the area came out with food and drinks, opened their homes for people to use their bathrooms and some even brought out pillows and duvets.

I hope Jan Moir watched yesterday and I really hope she is feeling a little bit embarrassed, I suspect not because she works for the Daily Mail when all said and done, I blogged about her column the other day and I am still as angry now about it as I was then - you can read it here or you can read Stephen Glenn's take on it all here.

I hope Stephen Gately's family, partner, friends and family will be allowed some private time now. Farewell Stephen, you were part of my growing up as a gay man with your music, RIP.