Inside Shane MacGowan’s funeral as allcomers sang farewell to the People’s Poet

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Fans touch the glass window of the carriage during the funeral procession open image in gallery Huge crowds gathered at the church in Nenagh Everyone in Nenagh seemed to have a story to share about MacGowan, who was regularly spotted shuffling up Summerhill to his favourite watering hole, Philly’s bar. Another lifelong fan – jokingly, I hope – threatened to have me kicked out myself, mistakenly thinking I wasn’t born when Shane was first booted out of The Pogues on a Japanese tour in 1991. open image in gallery Mourners take communion during the service open image in gallery MacGowan’s former bandmates in The Pogues perform: Jem Finer, Terry Woods, Spider Stacy and James Fearnley A procession of famous faces proceeded into the church, with Depp waving to the crowds as he arrived. Shane MacGowan's family dance to Fairytale Of New York at funeral Children shared “RIP Shane” Snapchats and would see who could clap for the longest amount of time before getting in trouble. The security staff just laughed and said: “Well the man at Nenagh Castle lied.” open image in gallery The hearse carrying the coffin of Shane MacGowan passes through Nenagh So, I head back to Philly Ryan’s, where MacGowan would sit on a stool shunning the limelight to read a book hopefully undisturbed.