MacGowan festival proves a big hit in the village he loved

Large crowds converged in Kilbarron on Sunday to remember the village’s most famous son, Shane MacGowan.

Locals estimated that up to one thousand people flocked to commemorate and enjoy the songs made famous by the Pogues frontman, who died last November. A plaque that takes pride of place in the villages paying homage to Shane and featuring the lyrics of one of his most loves songs locally, The Broad Majestic Shannon, was officially dedicated to his memory by his sister, Siobhan, who laid a wreath of read roses at the monument.

“It was such a special day, and great to see such a huge turnout and love for Shane,” said Siobhan, a writer who lives in Dromineer.

She told the large crowd why she chose red roses to place at the memorial erected by the Kilbarron Development Association.

“The Pogues’ first album was called Red Roses for Me. The title was taken from a play by Sean O’Casey. In the play a woman carries red roses for a lost loved one.

“Today I carried red roses here for my brother, and beside the church where our mother and father were married on another August day in 1956, at the monument that now stands to their son, I lay a rose, with unending love, at its foot.

“I lay it for my brother; for your cousin, neighbour, and friend; who to the world was the renowned musician and lyricist Shane MacGowan.

“But most especially I lay it for the boy the Lynches called the Little Man. Our beloved Shane.”

The dedication proved deeply emotional and there were tears in the eyes of many people present who remembered Shane with respect and love.

Parish Priest Fr Michael Cooney was also on hand to recite some prayers at the monument to the famous singer.

There were also many tears flowing when local musician Keelan McGrath and his brother Jack gathered around Ms MacGowan and proceeded to play The Broad Majestic Shannon, a song that has such resonance for Kilbarron itself becase of nostalgic references in MacGowan's lyrics to the place itself.

LYNCH HOME

The local Lynch home in nearby Carney Common where Shane’s mother grew up and where he spent many holidays as a child, was celebrated - the cottage kitchen where he first sang in front of uncles and aunts lovingly recreated in the village hall.

People travelled to Kilbarron for all over the country. Among those present was a group of German tourists who changed their holiday schedule and came to the village on hearing of the festival and commemoration.

One of the highlights was when local band Tradstone and Keelan McGrath played three MacGowan songs in a row, a performance that went down a treat with all present.

Sunday’s event was preceded on Saturday by a workshop on Shane’s life in the village hall.

The event featured a number of people from the area who told great stories of the singer’s holidays there as a child.

There was much appreciation of the work put in to organising the event by Midge O’Meara, the chairman of the local development association, along with colleagues Paul Tiernan, Joe Hannigan, Eimer Hourigan, Mike Molamphy and others.