Funeral of Shane MacGowan taking place in Ireland
A procession is making it's way through South Dublin
Last updated 8th Dec 2023
The funeral procession of Shan MacGowan is underway in Ireland.
It began at 11:00 in Dublin where thousands of fans and mourners gathered to pay their respects to the former Pogues frontman.
Thousands of people lined the streets, many people bringing instruments and singing Pogues songs as they waited for the procession to begin.
The procession including a marching band will make it's way through the streets of South Dublin before Shane's coffin is driven to County Tipperary for the funeral service.
MacGowan died last week at the age of 65 after being diagnosed with encephalitis.
The procession is set to move down to County Tipperary where the service is taking place.
According to the New York Times, his wife said he died of pneumonia.
"Shane hated funerals"
In a post on Instagram, MacGowan's wife Victoria Mary Clarke said it was incredible how many people wanted to go to his funeral.
She said:
"Tomorrow is Shane’s funeral which is hard to believe and probably I won’t believe it for a while.
"Shane hated funerals and he refused to go to them with a few rare exceptions.
"So it’s incredible to think that so many people want to come to his and that so many beautiful people are pouring their hearts and souls into making it magnificent and magical and memorable for him and for us who are left behind."
Shane MacGowan: "Vibrant and beautiful"
The wife of Shane MacGowan said the singer was “so vibrant and beautiful and so determined to live only a few days ago” before his death at the age of 65.
Victoria Mary Clarke was at the side of the frontman of The Pogues along with his family when he died “peacefully” at 3am on Thursday, just weeks before his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.
On Monday, Clarke wrote on X, formerly Twitter:
“It’s so hard to believe that someone could be so vibrant and beautiful and so determined to live only a few days ago.
“But so many people are losing loved ones all over the world. My prayers are for all of you guys as Shane’s would be.”
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