Shane MacGowan funeral procession travels through Dublin as thousands fill streets to say goodbye to Pogues icon | The Sun
THOUSANDS of mourners have gathered in Dublin to pay their respects to legendary singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan.
The Pogues frontman's funeral procession was driven through the south of the city this morning before heading to his hometown of Nenagh, Tipperary for funeral mass.
Shane's final journey began in South Lotts Road with a horse-drawn carriage bringing his coffin down Pearse Street and onto Westland Row, giving fans who loved him dearly the chance to say goodbye.
The funeral cortege was led by the Artane band and a lone piper.
Huge crowds have gathered and are beginning to swell as the procession continues.
Music rung out through the city as crowds joined in harmony, singing some of the musician's most iconic hits, in what is a joyful celebration of the legend's life.
A stunning rendition of Fairytale of New York, and A Rainy Night in Soho have been performed by the Artane band as cheers echo around the streets.
Fans were seen throwing flowers towards the hearse, draped in the tri-colour, as it passed.
Funeral cars containing family members and Shane's beloved wife Victoria Mary Clarke followed the horse drawn carriage.
Victoria was seen beaming with a smile as she took in the love and support shown by the thousands of fans in attendance.
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People have travelled from all over the world to be in Dublin today.
One man has travelled from Philadelphia to remember the star after he met his wife at a Pogues concert in the early 1990s.
He said Shane MacGowan, who passed away last Thursday, "has been a big part of our life since".
The funeral procession has now concluded and Shane will make his way to Co Tipperary where funeral mass will then take place at St Mary of the Rosary church at 3.30pm.
Mourners, many holding photographs of Shane MacGowan, sang Dirty Old Town following his funeral procession.
One fan held a bunch of forget-me-nots as she said: "I have here forget-me-nots so we will never forget him."
'THANK YOU'
The widow of Shane MacGowan "thanked" gardai for helping to manage the crowd of fans in Dublin as the cortege makes its way to Tipperary.
Journalist Victoria Mary Clarke wrote on X: "Thank you so much @GardaTraffic for your help today and for the escort for @ShaneMacGowan."
Traffic restrictions are in place for both events – and roads in the centre of Nenagh will be closed until 7pm this evening.
A number of stars are expected to attend the funeral later this afternoon, including actor Johnny Depp and musician Nick Cave.
President Michael D Higgins will also attend the funeral mass.
Musical equipment was unloaded outside of the church yesterday evening in preparation for today.
'CELEBRATE THE MAN'
Father Pat Gilbert, who will be the chief celebrant at MacGowan's funeral, has told how the mass will celebrate the life and faith of the late Fairytale of New York singer.
He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland: "Today we will celebrate the life of Shane MacGowan, and Victoria and the family stressed the importance of celebrating mass because there was another side to Shane MacGowan, there was the spiritual side, a man who had his devotion to our Blessed Lady and a man who received Holy Communion from our church, St Mary of the Rosary, regularly.
"It's a side of him that's not known but it's a side of him we must celebrate. It's a side that was important to him in the context of his living of his life.
"We will have the rite of reception, we'll have mass and we'll have the rite of final accommodation interspersed with pieces of his music which will be performed by some of his friends.
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"I think that's the right thing to do, that's the way to celebrate the man, the faith, the music and the lyric.
"It's the way to celebrate and remember the husband, the brother, the son and the brother-in-law."
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