Shane MacGowan’s funeral was thrown into chaos by a “split-second decision” involving Johnny Depp last Friday.
The Pogues frontman was laid to rest last week, and his star-studded funeral took place at St Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.
Shane’s close friend Johnny jetted into Ireland for the funeral mass, and read a prayer at the service before carrying his wicker casket out of the church.
Johnny Depp carrying the coffin of Shane MacGowan. #RipShaneMacGowan pic.twitter.com/WTPvOEd26S
— JUMBLE BAG (@JumbleBag) December 9, 2023
Tipperary undertaker and publican Philly Ryan has since revealed how Johnny was never meant to carry Shane’s coffin out of the church, which caused serious upset with his security.
Speaking to the Irish Sun, he said: “This story has been busting inside of me, I suppose I’d better tell it.
“Johnny Depp carrying Shane’s coffin. That was never meant to happen. I’m sure Johnny is still wondering how it happened. But when I saw the pride on his face as he carried Shane down the church, I knew I’d made the right decision.”
“Sometimes people don’t treat celebrities like human beings. Johnny deserved to carry Shane’s coffin. He was his best man. He was there for the right reasons.”
Philly’s last-minute decision caused chaos outside the church though, as Johnny was left exposed to the crowds waiting at the door.
He said: “When Johnny turned up at bottom of the church. The crowd spotted him and started roaring. His security told me, ‘Now look at the trouble you’re after causing’.”.
Recalling the final moments of Shane’s funeral, Philly explained: “I said ‘Johnny, you are going to carry Shane’s coffin’. Johnny looked at me, like I’d punched him in the face. ‘What are you on about?’
“I told him, ‘we want you to carry Shane’s coffin’. A security man rushed over and said ‘Johnny! This is NOT in the plan!’ But Johnny told the security guy, ‘No, I’m going to do this’.
“The security were still dead against it, but by then I had Johnny’s elbow on the coffin. No one expected Johnny to carry Shane’s coffin. It was never in the plan.
“The next time I saw Johnny’s security was at the cremation the next day and I never looked at them. They were ready to pull my head off!”
He added: “I knew Johnny and Shane’s relationship over the years. Their relationship was beyond celebrity. It was true friendship.
“He so deserved to carry Shane’s coffin from that church.”
