Singing great Shane MacGowan passes away

The death has taken place of internationally renowned singer Shane MacGowan who passed away today, at the age of 65, following a long illness.

Born on Christmas Day 1957 in England to Irish parents, his father from Dublin and his late mother Therese from Silvermines, Nenagh, where he was raised until the age of 6, along with his sister Siobhan. Shane also lived in Carney, Nenagh for many years.

Shane MacGowan came to prominence in the early 1980s, drawing upon his Irish heritage when founding The Pogues and changed his early punk style for a more traditional sound with tutoring from his extended family. Many of his songs are influenced by Irish nationalism, Irish history, the experiences of the Irish diaspora (particularly in England and the United States), including one of his most famous songs "Fairytale of New York", which he performed with Kirsty MacColl.

In 2006, he was voted 50th in the NME Rock Heroes List. In 2018, after a decades-long relationship and subsequent 11-year engagement, MacGowan married Irish journalist Victoria Mary Clarke.