Shane MacGowan, the acclaimed songwriter and lead singer of The Pogues, was mourned and celebrated at his funeral ceremony in County Tipperary. The ceremony was attended by hundreds of people, including famous friends like Nick Cave, Johnny Depp, and Bob Geldof. Irish President Michael D Higgins was also present at the Saint Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh. The mood during the ceremony was celebratory rather than sad, and mourners danced as Fairytale of New York played in the church.
Fr Pat Gilbert, a rock music fan and parish priest, delivered the homily, describing MacGowan as “our modern-day bard”. In her eulogy, his widow Victoria Mary Clarke spoke candidly about how drug-taking was a huge factor in his life. She said that “his physical body lasted a very long time, considering what he did to it.” However, Clarke hailed MacGowan’s talent and creativity, calling him a “brilliant artist” who “reinvented Irish music”.
Music played a huge part in the ceremony, with Nick Cave performing A Rainy Night in Soho and Imelda May and Hothouse Flowers frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí leading a rendition of MacGowan’s ballad You’re The One. Irish singers Mundy and Camille O’Sullivan sang “Haunted”, a duet that MacGowan recorded with the late Sinead O’Connor. The musical performances were organised by Oscar-winning songwriter Glen Hansard, frontman of The Frames.
The Pogues had international fame, with many fans travelling from far afield to say their goodbyes. At Tower Records in Dublin city centre, Pogues albums and merchandise nearly sold out since MacGowan’s death. His band The Gorehounds supported The Pogues during their 1980s heyday, and they were brilliant. The records are good, but live – that was where the buzz was
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More