Shane MacGowan's fitting final request was honoured at his funeral
Shane MacGowan’s fitting final request was honoured at his funeral last Friday (8 December).
The Pogues singer and songwriter died on 30 November at the age of 65.
Best known as the lead from the English and Irish Celtic punk band, MacGowan was of course responsible for co-writing the Christmas banger, ‘Fairytale of New York’ with Jem Finer.
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His widow Victoria Mary Clarke said the musician had died of pneumonia, a condition he was routinely hospitalised with in the past year, although he 'wasn't ready to stop fighting - but his body did it for him’.
On the day of MacGowan’s funeral, friends, family and fans lined the streets in Nenagh, County Tipperary.
After family members had danced in the aisles of the church to his Christmas hit – tipped to be this year’s UK Christmas Number One – they headed to his wake.
Plenty famous faces were also in attendance, including his former The Pogues bandmates, Game of Thrones actor Aidan Gillen, musician Nick Cave and long-time pal Johnny Depp.
MacGowan had one last wish when he passed - for his mourners to have an absolute bender of a drunken night.
It’s said The Pogues star left €10,000 (£8,594) behind the bar of The Thatched Cottage in Nenagh.
One of his former drinking partners told The Independent: “I know the pub they are going to for the meal after there has already been €10,000 handed over the counter for free beer – it was Shane’s last request.
“It is a beautiful place just outside of town but there is only a limited amount of people allowed.”
It’s reportedly not known who footed the mega bill at the invite-only wake but dozens of mourners claim it was funded by the star’s estate.
Apparently, mourners drank inside the packed place from 6pm to dawn with singer Glen Hansard playing ‘Fairytale of New York’ inside.
Clarke is said to have spent much of the evening ‘hanging out’ with Depp and thanked him on X on Sunday.
Alongside a snap of the pair she wrote: “When you lose a loved one you need to be able to focus on the blessings and I want to thank #johnnydepp for being a tower of strength and for supporting me and @ShaneMacGowan in so many ways with such respect and compassion and loyalty.”
With other ‘unofficial wakes’ taking place in Ireland on Friday night, there were plenty of drinks raised to MacGowan. A legend forever.
Topics: Christmas, Celebrity, Johnny Depp, Pubs
Jess Battison