Published Friday, 16 October 2009
The group appeared publicly for the first time since the 33-year-old singer's death to speak of their loss.
Reading a statement and flanked by his bandmates, who were arm in arm, Ronan Keating said:
"Last Saturday our world changed forever when we lost our friend and brother Stephen."
He said: "We have come to Majorca to accompany our pal on his final journey back to Dublin, where we know he will be given an unforgettable send off."
'Overwhelmed'
"Stephen and Andrew (Gately's partner Andrew Cowles) had chosen to make Majorca their second home and we know that Stephen loved the times they spent together here."
"The countless messages of love and support we have received this week have truly overwhelmed ourselves and the Gately family."
"We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for each and every one of them. We would also like to thank the media for respecting our privacy this week and ask that you continue to do so tomorrow."
"Stephen lived to perform and truly loved being centre stage."
"You can be sure he's looking down on us now wishing we'd move over so he could flash his smile for the cameras one more time."
"What the future holds for the four of us now is too hard to even think about. But we know that nothing will ever be the same without our dearest friend, Stephen... rest in peace, brother."
Tattoos
The bandmates have had tattoos to mark the death of their friend.
Keating's tribute to his former bandmate was just visible as he appeared at Majorca's Palma Airport, before accompanying the coffin home to Dublin.
As the visibly upset singer spoke, the numbers "76 09" were apparent beneath his T-shirt sleeve.
They correspond to the years of Gately's birth and death.
Each of the band members - Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy and Mikey Graham - is understood to have had a memorial tattoo to their former colleague.
Lynch is already known for his heavily-tattooed physique
A source said: "The tattoos were done as a mark of respect for Stephen."