Irish Rebel
Hey, they say the Italians know how to live and the Irish know how to die. We’re damn good at lowering down a few pints, telling stories, and saying a long goodbye to old friends. That was on full display during last week’s fare-thee-well for legendary Irish songwriter Shane MacGowan. A renowned boozer and carouser, people had been giving Shane six months to live for about 40 years, so we all thought he might live forever until he died November 30 at the age of 65.
Shane was a guy who hated funerals, but he would have loved his own. I gotta say, Bucko Fitzgerald, his procession was something to see. Thousands lined the streets of Dublin to bid farewell. Shane’s coffin was draped in an Irish tricolour, which is usually reserved for soldiers of the Republic. The casket was borne in a horse-drawn carriage with the procession led by the Artane Marching Band and a lone bagpiper. All along the route fans sang his songs.
The funeral was the most emotional and inspiring I’ve ever seen. In true Irish fashion, it was a mix of high mass and hootenanny. Shane’s old buddy Johnny Depp was a pallbearer and his bandmates from the Pogues sang “The Parting Glass.” The best moment was Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill’s rousing version of “Fairytale of New York,” Shane’s famous Christmas song, with the original, uncensored lyrics. MacGowan’s wife and family jumped out of the front pews and danced by the wicker casket and by the end half the church was in the aisles. Make sure you watch the video all the way through. I have to admit I did a little “keening,” which is what the Irish call crying, at the sight of it.
Shane's final request was to bequeath $12,000 to the Thatched Cottage, his favorite local pub in Nenagh, to cover the bar tab after his funeral. Great move.
Keep your dukes up.
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