It was with the greatest sadness that I learned this morning of the death of Mr Shane MacGowan Pogues frontman and songwriter at the age of 65. Mr MacGowan had been ill for some time.
I had the great pleasure of meeting and photographing Mr MacGowan on several occasions, both in his home town of Nenagh and topping the bill at a previous ‘Ned Of the Hill festival’, latter held in Upperchurch, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Born in Kent, UK, Mr MacGowan was the son of Irish immigrants Mr Maurice and Mrs Therese MacGowan; going on to front the band “The Pogues” from 1982 until their break-up in 2014.
Mr MacGowan had been receiving treatment at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin for several months having had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol, before being discharged on November 22nd last, to return home to spend time with his friends and family.
Mr MacGowan had formed the Irish punk band “Pogue Mahone”, [A derivative of the Irish phrase “Póg mo thóin” in English meaning “Kiss my Arse”], before later shortening same to “The Pogues”, in 1982, with the band releasing seven studio albums.
In 1988 the late Kirsty MacColl (1959-2000) collaborated with “The Pogues” for that most well-loved Christmas song ‘Fairytale of New York’, written by Mr MacGowan, which achieved the No.2 spot in the UK charts and today, within the UK and Ireland, same remains one of the best-loved of Christmas songs.
Mr MacGowan revealed he was diagnosed with encephalitis last year in a video posted to social media. [Encephalitis is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed and swollen.] He had also confined to a wheelchair since 2015, having injured himself in a fall.
Garryard East, Silvermines, Nenagh, in Co Tipperary, the oft-time home of singer Mr MacGowan and his family, was offered for public sale on June 9th, 2017. This sale followed on following the death of Mrs Therese MacGowan, mother of much loved singer, following a single-vehicle road crash in North Tipperary, on January 1st 2017.
A statement by MacGowan’s spokesperson confirmed that he had died peacefully at 3:30am this morning, November 30th with his wife Victoria and sister Siobhán by his side.
Shane MacGowan is survived by his wife Victoria, his father Maurice and sister Siobhán.
In ár gcroíthe go deo.
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