Tributes have poured in for The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, who has sadly died.
The legendary musician, who suffered from multiple health issues in recent years, was 65.
In a statement, his family said: “It is with the deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Shane MacGowan. Shane died peacefully at 3am this morning (30 November, 2023) with his wife Victoria and family by his side.”
Picture: Andres Poveda
“Prayers and the last rites were read which gave comfort to his family. He is survived by his wife Victoria, his sister Siobhan and his father, Maurice, family and a large circle of friends.
“Further details will be announced shortly but the family ask for privacy at this very sad time.”
Since the news of his death broke, fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to Shane.
Fair play to him for outshining that prick Kissinger. A very punk rock death
— The Blindboy Podcast (@Rubberbandits) November 30, 2023
RIP Shane MacGowan, very sad news. Memories of seeing The Pogues in their pomp in the mid-80s at Glasgow Barrowlands for one mental gig. Flipside, seeing them with Kirsty in Leeds where he could hardly stand up or sing and Kirsty arguing with him. A legend on many levels ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4ufpBRY6A1
— 🎸🎤 Ⴝ⚈ṋ𝗴Ѕ ⚈𝔣 Ý⚈𝙐ᴦ 🇱ı𝔣e 🎹🥁 (@SongsOfYourLif1) November 30, 2023
Let me go, boys.
RIP Shane MacGowan, one of the greats. pic.twitter.com/PSO3TQH37J
— Kieran Doody (@kierandoody) November 30, 2023
R.I.P Shane MacGowan….
Thank you for over 40 years of Music …
Not surprised but fook …😪 pic.twitter.com/iGmsj2iLEL— I’M SPASTICOUS….☘️☘️☘️ (@jamesfallon40) November 30, 2023
Desperately sad news that Shane MacGowan has died. He was a man of profound depth and spirituality – who often spoke about prayer in his life. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/p9cFMETD8E
— Michael Kelly ن (@MichaelKellyIC) November 30, 2023
Gosh. Now Shane MacGowan has passed away. Such incredibly sad news. Wouldn’t it be lovely if Fairytale of New York became Christmas number one this year? pic.twitter.com/CnoJSFY31e
— Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) November 30, 2023
Shane MacGowan R.I.P pic.twitter.com/bWfvVWBEdz
— Cathal Burke (@cathalbur) November 30, 2023
President Michael D. Higgins also issued a statement regarding the beloved singer’s death.
“Like so many across the world, it was with the greatest sadness that I learned this morning of the death of Shane MacGowan.”
“Shane will be remembered as one of music’s greatest lyricists. So many of his songs would be perfectly crafted poems, if that would not have deprived us of the opportunity to hear him sing them.”
“The genius of Shane’s contribution includes the fact that his songs capture within them, as Shane would put it, the measure of our dreams – of so many worlds, and particularly those of love, of the emigrant experience and of facing the challenges of that experience with authenticity and courage, and of living and seeing the sides of life that so many turn away from.”
Last night President Michael D. Higgins presented Shane MacGowan with a Lifetime Achievement Award. pic.twitter.com/sSgI4q0wG9
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) January 16, 2018
“His words have connected Irish people all over the globe to their culture and history, encompassing so many human emotions in the most poetic of ways.”
“Shane’s talent was nurtured from a young age by his mother Therese, herself an award winning folk singer in her own right. Therese, who lost her life in such tragic circumstances on New Year’s Day 2017, inspired in Shane the love of Irish music and traditions which resulted in the wonderful music and lyrics which have been a source of such joy for so many people.”
“Born on Christmas Day, there was perhaps some form of destiny which led Shane to writing ‘Fairytale of New York’, the timeless quality of which will surely mean that it will be listened to every Christmas for the next century or more. Likewise songs like ‘Rainy Night in Soho’, ‘A Pair of Brown Eyes’, ‘If I Should Fall from Grace with God’ and so many others will live on far into the years and decades to come.”
“I think too of ‘Haunted’, and the particular poignancy that both Shane and Sinéad O’Connor have left us in such quick succession.”
“It was a great honour for me, as President of Ireland, to present Shane with a lifetime achievement award in the National Concert Hall in January 2018 as we marked his 60th birthday. A richly deserved honour.”
“On behalf of Sabina and I, may I extend my deepest condolences to Shane’s wife Victoria, his sister Siobhán, his father Maurice, his bandmates in the Pogues and other projects, and to all his many friends and family.”
Shane had recently been hospitalised for a number of months, after contracting an infection back in June.
The 65-year-old had been receiving care in St Vincent’s Hospital, but was released last week.
At the time, Shane’s wife Victoria Mary Clarke shared a snap of him in his hospital bed and wrote: “Shane got out of the hospital!”
“We are deeply and eternally grateful to all of the doctors and nurses and staff at St Vincent’s it’s the best! And special thanks to Tom Creagh and Brian Corscadden for your help.”
Shane got out of the hospital! We are deeply and eternally grateful to all of the doctors and nurses and staff at St Vincent’s it’s the best ! And special thanks to Tom Creagh and Brian Corscadden for your help @ShaneMacGowan @poguesofficial pic.twitter.com/ciEhB1NcRU
— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) November 22, 2023
The singer married his long-term partner Victoria in Copenhagen back in 2018, and their wedding was attended by their friend Johnny Depp.
Shane had been in a wheelchair for years and required a full-time carer, after breaking his pelvis in 2016 before breaking his knee and tearing his ligaments in 2020.
He was being treated for viral encephalitis, a condition in which the brain becomes swollen, since December 2022.
Shane then contracted shingles while in hospital, where he remained for just over a week before returning home.
