Shane MacGowan funeral: Pogues songs including Fairytale Of New York ring out as mourners say goodbye
A rousing rendition of Shane MacGowan’s best-loved hit Fairytale Of New York rang out during his funeral in Co Tipperary, Ireland – as stars including Johnny Depp, Bono and Nick Cave led the tributes to the singer.
Mourners were welcomed by Father Pat Gilbert as the “people this great man influenced, encouraged, entertained and touched” gathered in a ceremony that was broadcast online and on TV for fans around the world.
He paid tribute to “a poet, lyricist, singer, trailblazer” who “reflected life as lived in our time, calling out accepted norms that oftentimes appear unacceptable”.
At the front of Saint Mary of the Rosary church in Nenagh, MacGowan‘s casket was heaped with red roses alongside a black-and-white photo of the singer when he was younger.
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Actor Johnny Depp gave a short reading
His widow Victoria Mary Clarke stood up at the ceremony, held near his ancestral home in Nenagh, and presented symbols marking her husband’s life, including the Crock Of Gold book of his art and lyrics, a tray his former bandmate Spider Stacy would “bash over Shane’s head” during gigs, and the couple’s wedding album.
In her eulogy, she described him as someone who “really did live so close to the edge that he seemed like he was going to fall off many times”, but said he was never interested in being “normal”.
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Watch the classic Pogues Christmas song
Fairytale of New York played at Shane MacGowan’s funeral
Christmas classic Fairytale Of New York, performed by Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill, was one of a number of Pogues hits played during the service, providing a moment for mourners to clap and cheer as they celebrated the singer’s greatest work.
Other musical moments included The Pogues hit A Rainy Night In Soho, sung by Australian star Nick Cave; the traditional song I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day, recorded by the band in 1985, performed by the band’s bassist Cait O’Riordan and musician John Francis Flynn; and Haunted, a duet recorded by MacGowan and the late Sinead O’Connor in 1995, performed by Irish singers Mundy and Camille O’Sullivan.
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Nick Cave at Shane MacGowan’s funeral
Victoria Mary Clarke gave a eulogy to her husband
Depp addressed the Saint Mary of the Rosary Church with a prayer, saying: “May we feel the pain of others, understand their need and reach out to all who suffer in any way with a continuous love that is rooted in faith and peace.”
Irish president Michael D Higgins, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and Game Of Thrones star Aidan Gillen also paid their respects at the ceremony, while a recording of a reading by U2 frontman Bono, who was unable to attend, was played.
Gerry Adams arrives for the funeral
Aiden Gillen arrives for the funeral of Shane MacGowan
‘It is imprinted in my mind forever’
MacGowan’s coffin had travelled to the town from Dublin, where fans and mourners were able to pay their respects earlier in the day as the horse-drawn carriage cortege travelled through the streets of the city.
Fans sang songs including Fairytale Of New York and Dirty Old Town as the procession passed through.
Among those who turned out to pay their respects on the streets of Dublin was Aidan Grimes, 60, who described MacGowan as “an icon of Dublin”.
“I remember the first time I saw The Pogues in the Hammersmith Odeon in 1985,” he said. “It is imprinted in my mind forever, just the madness and mayhem, the raucous nature of his singing and the music they were playing.
“Through the years he evolved into a great poet and he will be sadly missed. I met him in Dublin about 15 years ago and he was a very charming, nice, friendly man. He talked about music and his time in London.”
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Kevin Sexton, from Co Fermanagh, said MacGowan opened doors for Irish people living in England.
“He made Irish people proud to be Irish at a time in London when it was a very difficult time to be Irish,” he said. “The Troubles were in full tilt. A lot of terrible things happened.
“Shane MacGowan opened doors. He introduced Irish culture and his own unique writing ability and voice and style that opened up a mix of Irish music plus rock plus punk, his whole unique persona transformed into song that enlightened the world.”
MacGowan died peacefully in November at the age of 65 after a spell in hospital.
His funeral took place on what would have been Sinead O’Connor‘s 57th birthday. The Irish singer, who was close friends with MacGowan, died earlier this year.
Angelina Jolie says although she appreciates being an artist, she would prefer for her legacy to be “a good mother” and to be known for her “belief in equality and human rights”.
The Oscar-winning actress stars as Maria Callas in the new Pablo Larrain film about the opera singer’s life.
Pic: StudioCanal
She has called Maria “the hardest” and “most challenging” role she has had in her career and put months of preparation into immersing herself into the world of opera.
Jolie, who recently reached a divorce settlement with actor Brad Pitt, told Sky News: “To be very candid, it was the therapy I didn’t realise I needed. I had no idea how much I was holding in and not letting out.
“So, the challenge wasn’t the technical [side of opera], it was an emotional experience to find my voice, to be in my body, to express. You have to give every single part of yourself.”
The biopic combines the voice of the Maleficent actress with recordings of Maria Callas.
Jolie believes it “would be a crime to not have [Callas’] voice through this because, in many ways, she is very present in this film”.
Who was Maria Callas?
Born in New York in 1923, Maria Callas was the daughter of Greek immigrants who moved back to Athens at the age of 13 with her mother and sister.
After enrolling at the Athens Conservatory, she made her professional debut at 17 and went on to become one of the most famous faces of opera, travelling around the world and performing at Covent Garden in London, The Met in New York and La Scala in Milan.
Callas’s final operatic performance took place at Covent Garden in 1965 when she was 41 but she continued to work conducting master classes at Juilliard School, doing concert tours and starring in the 1969 film Medea.
Written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, Maria focuses on the artist’s final years in the 1970s when she moved to Paris and disappeared from public view.
She died on 16 September 1977 at the age of 53.
Pic: StudioCanal
Jolie on changing motivations as an actor
Maria follows the life of an artist fully consumed by the art she creates and even remarks that “happiness never developed a beautiful melody”.
Reflecting on her own life in the spotlight, Jolie said she noticed her own career motivations change over the years.
“There’s this kind of study of being human that we do when we create, and we communicate with an audience because our work is not in isolation – it’s a connection.
“I think when I was younger, I had different questions about being human and different feelings and now as I’ve gotten older, I understand some things and now I have different questions.
“It’s a matter of life, right? And so maybe that’s interesting that this now is a character really contemplating death and really contemplating the toll of certain things in life that I, of course, couldn’t have understood in my 20s”.
Jolie at the New York Film Festival in September with three of her children (L-R) Pax, Zahara and Maddox. Pic: AP
A family affair
Two of Jolie’s children, Maddox and Pax, took on production assistant roles during the filming of Maria and witnessed their mother perform opera for the first time in public.
She says the film allowed them to create new experiences together and for her children to see her approach to playing a difficult role.
“Everyone in my home, we all give each other space to be who we are and we’re all different.
“I’m the mom, but I’m also an artist and a person and so my family has been very kind and gives me their understanding. They make fun of me, and they support me and just as you’d hope it would be.”
She adds: “When you play somebody who is dealing with so much pain, it’s very important to come home to some kindness.”
Maria is in cinemas now.
Tom Holland’s dad has confirmed his son’s engagement to Zendaya – revealing how the 28-year-old meticulously planned the proposal.
Zendaya, also 28, sparked engagement rumours when she attended last Sunday’s Golden Globes wearing a sparkling diamond on her ring finger.
Neither star has publicly addressed the rumours but Tom’s comedian father, Dominic Holland, has now confirmed the pair are set to wed.
He wrote in a post on his Patreon account: “Tom, as you know by now was very incredibly well prepared. He had purchased a ring.
“He had spoken with her father and gained permission to propose to his daughter.”
“Tom had everything planned out… When, where, how, what to say, what to wear,” he added.
Zendaya arrived at the Golden Globes with a noticeable piece of new jewellery. Pic: Invision/AP
Dominic also noted that while most men worry about being able to afford an engagement ring, he suspects his actor son was “more concerned with the stone, its size and clarity, its housing, which jeweller”.
Tom and Zendaya met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, when they played the titular hero and his love interest MJ, respectively. Their romance was confirmed in 2021.
In his post, Tom’s father admitted fears over whether being in the spotlight could put a strain on the couple’s relationship.
He wrote: “I do fret that their combined stardom will amplify their spotlight and the commensurate demands on them and yet they continually confound me by handling everything with aplomb.”
“And even though show business is a messy place for relationships and particularly so for famous couples as they crash and burn in public and are too numerous to mention […] yet somehow right at the same time, I am completely confident they will make a successful union.”
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Zendaya rose to fame after landing a role in Disney sitcom Shake It Up, and became a household name after starring in Euphoria.
Holland – who has starred in three Spider-Man films opposite his now-fiancée – made his stage debut in Billy Elliot the Musical in 2008.
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