Nenagh gives Shane MacGowan a royal send off

Shane MacGowan was immortalised before he passed away and the funeral, which brought Nenagh to a standstill that later erupted into an unforgettable celebration, was attended by stars of music and film who sat shoulder to shoulder with proud locals and fans and friends.

President Michael D. Higgins, who was visibly moved during the ceremony, attended the funeral and during her eulogy, Shane's wife Victoria, said that receiving the appreciation of the President was one of the high points in Shane's life.

Described from the pulpit by former leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, as "a man who lived his life to the fullest", Shane's remains, presented before the altar in a wicker casket, were carried by luminaries such as Hollywood actor Johnny Depp and family members.

Lifelong friend and Nenagh funeral director and publican, Philly Ryan, cared for Shane's remains and his family and oversaw his final journey to Nenagh. Shane MacGowan “lit a fire that burns in Ireland and across the world”, his sister and accomplished writer Síobhan MacGowan, said during his funeral ceremony.

While they were born in Kent, her brother’s “veins ran deep with Irish blood”, and he found his spiritual home in County Tipperary, their mother’s childhood home.

“Shane absorbed the magical mayhem of this place, and along with the musical talents of his mother, the literary leanings of his father, and their enduring love for their son, it would be the greatest influence on his life,” she said.

Referencing him receiving a lifetime achievement award for his outstanding contribution to Irish life, music and culture, from President Higgins in 2018, his sister said he cried because their mother had not lived to see it.

“Tipperary and Ireland gave birth to a dream, he dreamed of one day being the teller of stories, the singer of the songs, he dreamed of following in the footsteps of those great Irish lyricists and musicians he so admired,” she said.

“He dreamed of continuing this proud tradition. He dreamed that one day he might add his name to those who had gone before him. And so when the president put that award in his hand, he knew he had achieved that dream.

“You did what you said you were going to do in those long ago days in Tipperary and you did it with such heart and fire.

“A fire that is not dimmed by death for you have lit that fire and it burns now in Ireland and all over the world. And so Shane, with words from dad and I, your little sister and your father, we are so proud of you. So very proud of you, our darling”, she said.

Delivering the homily, Father Pat Gilbert said Shane MacGowan had "made Irish music cool around the world".

He added: “As teenagers, not being able to verbalise our uneasiness, displeasure, our uncomfortable assessment of what was happening all around us, we found an outlet, a channel, a conduit in the music and lyrics of the day.

“In the words of Dickens, ‘It was the best of times and the worst of times’. But the music and the lyric were tremendous, and Shane was the master of them all.

“As Brendan Behan did in prose, Shane MacGowan did in poetry. The raw vibrant energetic earthy soul-filled expression gave us hope and heart and hankering.”

He added: “A poet, lyricist, singer, trailblazer, Shane reflected life as lived in our time, calling out accepted norms that oftentimes appear unacceptable.”

During the service, many of Shane MacGowan’s best known songs were played, including a rendition of A Rainy Night In Soho by Nick Cave.

Johnny Depp, who was best man at Victoria Clarke's and Shane MacGowan’s wedding,read out one of the prayers of the faithful and a recording of Bono delivering a reading was played.

Earlier on Friday in Dublin, Shane MacGowan’s remains were carried in a glass horse-drawn carriage with his coffin adorned with an Irish tricolour flag and featuring a black-and-white photograph of the singer in his youth.

Ms Clarke travelled in a car behind the cortege, which was led by the Artane Band.

Members of the public threw flowers and musicians played 'A Pair Of Brown Eyes' and 'Fairytale Of New York' as the funeral procession passed Sweeny’s pharmacy in central Dublin, which featured in James Joyce’s Ulysses and which Shane immortalised in song.

Following the funeral mass, the funeral cortege travelled through Nenagh town centre and stopped briefly outside his favourite Nenagh haunt, Philly Ryan’s pub, before the coffin was brought into the undertakers by family members.

A private cremation followed and Shane MacGowan's ashes will be spread in the River Shannon, as were his wishes.

Shane MacGowan was born to Irish parents in 1957 in Pembury, Kent, and he soon moved to rural Tipperary where he was immersed in a culture of ceili bands and showbands. His grandparents lived in the Carney Commons area close to picturesque Puckane village. 

The Pogues frontman died peacefully at 3am on November 30th with his wife and family by his side, a statement from his relatives said.

He was due to celebrate his 66th birthday on Christmas Day and his funeral coincided with the birthday of his friend and artistic collaborator, Sinead O'Connor, who died earlier this year.