The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has officially been laid to rest. On Friday, December 8th, fans, friends, and collaborators alike came together to honor the Irish icon’s life and legacy with a moving funeral in Dublin. Outside the St Mary’s of the Rosary Church where the ceremony was held, though, another touching tribute was taking place: mourners took to the streets of Dublin to sing MacGowan’s songs.
As captured in videos posted on social media, fans who had been waiting on the streets to see MacGowan’s funeral procession pass stuck around, which led to an impromptu jam session. Musicians equipped with banjos, harmonicas, and tin whistles led the arrangements, as the chorus of Dubliners sang songs like “Dirty Old Town” and the Pogues Christmas masterpiece, “Fairytale of New York.”
In a testament to the boundary-breaking appeal and strikingly resonant nature of MacGowan’s songs, the crowd consisted of people of all ages, coming together to celebrate the folk tradition that he was a torch-bearer of. As one tweet put it: “This is the real Dublin.”
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At the funeral itself, MacGowan was honored by Nick Cave, who performed an emotional rendition of “A Rainy Night in Soho.” Glen Hansard teamed up with Lisa O’Neill for a rousing performance of “Fairytale of New York,” and Spider Stacy led The Pogues in a performance of “The Parting Glass,”
Since his passing on November 30th (due to complications from pneumonia and viral encephalitis), tributes have come in from Cave, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Flea, Jason Kelce, and many others.
For more on MacGowan, check out more of the tributes that have come in from his many admirers, or read the essay by Consequence’s Jonah Krueger about the rough-around-the-edges magic of “Fairytale of New York.”
As Shane MacGowan’s funeral procession made its way through Dublin today, mourners honored The Pogues frontman by singing some of his iconic songs.pic.twitter.com/MpGz28xZh4
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) December 8, 2023
This is the real Dublin ❤️🔥
So long Shane 🙏#ShaneMacGowan pic.twitter.com/YxZtmXxxI2
— Fergal Burke (@fergaljburke) December 8, 2023
Session outside Sweny’s pharmacy in Dublin in honour of the late Shane MacGowan pic.twitter.com/s0Fadz9wuZ
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley_) December 8, 2023
