Free Republic

Hearing The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s iconic Christmas ditty Fairytale of New York will be poignant for fans this year following the death of Shane MacGowan. The Pogues frontman’s death at the age of 65 was announced on November 30, 2023, following years of battling health issues. His funeral is taking place today (December 8) with Johnny Depp arriving in Nenagh, Tipperary to give a reading. Often voted the nation’s favourite Yuletide song, it is the UK’s most-played Christmas single, and you can often find it getting everyone on their feet during annual parties. It has been sold more than...

Singer-songwriter and The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has died aged 65, following ill-health and a recent hospital stay after being diagnosed with encephalitis. The musician, whose hits include 1987's Fairytale of New York and A Pair of Brown Eyes, had been unwell for some time. MacGowan also had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol. His wife Victoria Mary Clarke said MacGowan "meant the world to me". Posting on Instagram, she wrote: "I don't know how to say this so I am just going to say it. Shane... has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese."