announced on the radio just now he has passed away
maybe a happy day for the man after years of illness
RIP
Rest in peace to another Irish legend, up there with kirsty singing away ❤️
Christy and Finbarr Furey are perhaps our only two national treasures in the music industry still with us now.
RIP Shane
Nope, he was more Irish than me, and I'm 100% Irish.
Being Irish is a cultural thing, it's not defined by your birthplace. Shane was more influential in shaping Irishness than any other artist I can think of. For those of us growing up in the 80s, Shane made us feel, for the first time, happy to be Irish.
..
Is his biopic with Barry Keoghan finished?
He was born in Britain to Irish parents so no he is/was Irish. He loved Ireland.
RIP Shane, but I can’t stand Fairytale of New York and we will be bombarded with it even more this year.
Also, is Shane not British?
I think it's very sad, for as far back as I can remember he was incoherent and completely enabled by whoever was around him. He was literally being wheeled around the place in a demented state for the last 15 years at least. The artist died a long time ago. RIP to Shane.
He lived far longer than some others who enjoy the same lifestyle.
He was a clever man, I doubt he expected to ever be 70.
Poor Mathew Perry spent $10 million trying to get sober and lived a life full of regrets and self recrimination and still died at 54.
Just be who you are, relax, enjoy yourself and let nature take its course.
Oh dear....
He stayed in a hotel I was the night porter in during the Galway Fleadh when they were showing "If I Should Fall From Grace" and honestly he was an incoherent drunken mess pretty much the entire time. He was drinking pints of White Russian at the same rate his hangers on were quaffing G&T's (on his tab of course). In the two nights he stayed I got the best two tips of my barkeeping career: £100 from his then manager Joey Cashman to keep the bar open (something I was already being paid to do) and, far better: a rendition of Rainy Night in Soho (my favourite Pogues song) in the stillness of a hotel bar at 4am as the dozen or so of us there marvelled at the fact a man that drunk could still tear your heart out when he sang.
He was undoubtedly a genius, and sadly his alcoholism made him vulnerable to a lot of unscrupulous people only too happy to indulge it as long as he was picking up the tab.
Really sad to hear this, I hope the demons are at rest but Shane is still Shane in whatever exists after this life.
"He's avin a go at he the Galway fans now"
What's that got to do with anything lol?
A great entertainer, songwriter and human being. RIP Shane. The bells are indeed ringing out.
Shane was from Tipp, not Galway.
I am not so sure about that. Plenty of maroons out there doing drugs. Whether they will ever become famous is another thing. Not saying he was a maroon but maybe if he had not done so many drugs and not smoked he might still be alive now instead of dead at 65. His death did not come as a surprise to me at all.
He had destroyed his brain with his drug taking and drinking.
One of my favourite renditions of Cole porter songs by the Pogues along with the great Kirsty McColl RIP on the Red Hot and Blue charity album
I saw Shane and The Popes playing Eamon Dorans around 2001. We got pulled over in Rathmines on the way in...told the garda where we were going who then said you better hurry up lads. They swaggered on stage around midnight. Up the front was just bedlam. One of the best gigs I've ever been to and I've been to hundreds.
Now you'll sing a song of liberty for blacks and paks and jocks
And they'll take you from this dump you're in and stick you in a box
Then they'll take you to Cloughprior and shove you in the ground
But you'll stick your head back out and shout "We'll have another round"
Really sadden to hear this. He was some character.
He looked very ill in his most recent photo in the papers earlier in the week-when released from hospital
Rest in Peace- a great legacy of music and songs for us all to enjoy in the years to come
Always reminds me of an English ex girlfriend that I lived with in London. Many a late night into morning spent in rainy Soho.
She hated The Pogues too 🤣
This is a really beautiful duet with Moya Brennan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwX2ftzmXuc
Its for nostalgic reasons. Was a teen when this was released. Reminds me of happy times.
My second favourite Christmas song. Glad he got to benefit from it over the years.
Rip
Ahh Shane Mcgowan. He was a genius. He took all the different genres of music he grew up with and turned them with into something new, exciting and yet very natural, with lyrics that were totally different to anything around at the time.
In his height, the good nature people showed toward him in spite of his flaws, embodied the general good nature people around the world showed the Irish in spite of our flaws.
It was very sad how helpless he was with drink and drugs. Despite all of his wonderful songs, we only got to see a glimpse of his genius before it was overcome. Truly unique.
Growing up in the 80s The Pouges were really popular, we used to listen to their tapes endlessly.
A great man to sing other people's songs too.
His versions of "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" and "Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway" are brilliant.
Even though he is probably the least Christmasee person going, but because of Fairytale Of New York and the fact he was born on Christmas day and now that he has died this time of year I will always associate him with Christmas.
Apart from the usual Pogues stuff, I always return to this video of him and Christy Moore when he was obviously fcukedd, but still pure gold
RIP Shane. Thanks for the memories.
**** Legend will never be forgotten for his contribution to Irish music. RiP
Sat opposite him about 30 years ago on the last train out of Hueston bound for Thurles on a cold Christmas Eve.
My husband and I were sitting in a near empty carriage when he got in at the last minute and sat across the aisle from us. He had a bag into which he appeared to have emptied the contents of a hotel mini bar which he proceeded to consume steadily until we all got off in Thurles.
A hardy man.
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