Shane MacGowan’s widow 'overwhelmed' by support as funeral details confirmed

Ms Clarke's remarks come as the route of Shane MacGowan's funeral procession in Dublin this Friday has been confirmed.

Fans will have the chance to say their goodbyes as the procession travels through the capital before heading to Tipperary for the funeral.

The Pogues singer's coffin will arrive at the carpark of the Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium at 10.30am and be transferred to a horse-drawn carriage.

The Artane Band and a piper will then lead the carriage and family cars onto South Lotts Road, across McMahon Bridge, and down Pearse Street to the junction of Lombard Street East and Westland Row.

It will then cross Westland Row and Lincoln Place into Fenian Street and then travel on to Denzille Lane where the coffin will be transferred back into the hearse privately.

The procession is expected to last about an hour and a quarter.

The hearse and family cars will then depart for Co Tipperary for the funeral Mass, which is open to the public and will take place in St Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh. The cremation will be private.

Meanwhile, the iconic song Fairytale of New York is battling to score the coveted Christmas number one spot in Britain, a feat not achieved when it was originally released in 1987, having peaked at number two in the charts. It did reach number one in the Irish charts. 

Clarke told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I don’t think Shane would mind too much if Fairytale goes to number one.

“I don’t think it was ever that important to him, because I think that he really appreciated the fact that so many people love it and it means so much to so many people, and being number one isn’t really all about being appreciated.” 

Asked how she felt about the song when she first heard it before it was released, she said: “I think I might have thought it was a little bit cheesy at the time.

“Sometimes these songs did seem a bit cheesy, but then, when you heard them properly, you get it, you know?

“I often criticised his songwriting, which didn’t go down too well. I do love it now.” 

Fairytale Of New York features a duet between English singer Kirsty MacColl — who died in December 2000 — and MacGowan.

It was originally written by MacGowan with fellow Pogues founder Jem Finer.

The song has returned to the UK Christmas top 40 every year since 2005.

Discussing their relationship, Clarke said MacGowan always supported her in all her endeavours, adding: “I loved standing on the side of the stage watching him. It wasn’t always easy, as you will know, because he pushed the boundaries and he was reckless and he was very unconventional.

“So it was like watching a racing driver and not knowing if they were going to crash, watching him going on stage.” 

MacGowan had been diagnosed with encephalitis following his latest bout of ill-health and after years of alcohol and substance abuse.

Clarke continued: “I think for most of you watching, the biggest fear you probably have is that you’re going to lose a loved one.

“And it’s going to happen, you can’t really get around that, you all are going to lose a loved one.

And I know that, for me, I spent many, many years, probably at least 35 years, worrying about losing Shane because he just pushed the boundaries so much of what humans can do to their bodies.

“So I dreaded that, and I thought that I would fall apart, I thought I would die, I thought I would not be able to speak, I thought I’d be comatose or on drugs myself or something like that.

“So I just want you all to know that it’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be. And there’s a huge amount of love that comes your way when you lose someone, that you didn’t really expect. And in my case, you know, I’ve been overwhelmed by how much love and support there is.” 

Clarke said the outpouring of love for MacGowan after his death has been a welcome surprise and, asked how he would feel about it, she added: “Me and Shane, we spent most of our lives in recent years sitting at home watching The Crown.

“We didn’t really go out, so we didn’t know what was going on in the outside world very much.

“We had a very quiet life, very, very happy, and we didn’t want anything else. We just wanted to sit here together watching telly.

“But to know now that there’s all these people out there who feel so strongly about him, you lose with one hand, but you receive with the other, there’s an equal and opposite sort of reaction.”