Shane MacGowan, the iconic frontman of The Pogues, died on November 30, following a long period of illness.
Tributes have begun to pour in near and far for MacGowan, just as the world was once again ready to revisit his classic Christmas song “Fairytale of New York" during the holiday season.
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Announcing the news of her husband's death, Victoria Mary Clarke posted on Instagram on November 30: "I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures.
"There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you for your presence in this world you made it so very bright and you gave so much joy to so many people with your heart and soul and your music.
"You will live in my heart forever. Rave on in the garden all wet with rain that you loved so much."
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In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Pogues said MacGowan died in the presence of his wife and his family at 3 am on Thursday, November 30.
"Prayers and the last rites were read which gave comfort to his family," the Pogues said in a statement.
"He is survived by his wife Victoria, his sister Siobhan and his father, Maurice, family and a large circle of friends."
— Shane MacGowan (@ShaneMacGowan) November 30, 2023
After a period in the ICU, MacGowan was admitted to hospital with an unspecified illness in July and was discharged from hospital earlier in November.
He previously spent several days in intensive care last Christmas for swelling on the brain.
Born in Kent to Irish parents, MacGowan was extremely proud of his Irish roots and spent much of his childhood in his mother's family home in Co Tipperary.
He was an integral part of the punk scene in 1970s London and later formed The Pogues alongside Jem Finer and Spider Stacy.
Drawing on MacGowan's punk roots, The Pogues rose to prominence by offering a blend of punk rock and Irish trad, releasing iconic hits such as "A Rainy Night in Soho" and the Christmas classic "Fairytale of New York."
MacGowan battled with substance abuse throughout his life and was ultimately kicked out of the band in 1991 due to his drug and alcohol addiction, although the Pogues reformed in 2001.
However, the band was no longer able to tour in the 2010s due to MacGowan's deteriorating health.
He married his long-term partner Victoria Mary Clarke in 2018 and released a limited book "The Eternal Buzz and the Crock of Gold" in 2022, which featured a combination of the lyrics and drawings he had produced during his illustrious career.
Ireland's leading politicians paid tribute to MacGowan upon his passing on Thursday.
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