Shane MacGowan Obituary

In a recent statement, The Pogues said that the band’s lead singer and songwriter, Shane MacGowan, has died at age 65, surrounded by family and having received the last rites.

Born in Kent, England, MacGowan’s family hailed from County Tipperary in Ireland. He would go on to found and lead The Pogues, a Celtic punk band. His songwriting was as precise as his self-presentation was shambolic. Consider the reeling, hilarious, joyously vulgar tribute to a race horse named “Bottle of Smoke”:

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer at National Review Online.

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In a recent statement, The Pogues said that the band’s lead singer and songwriter, Shane MacGowan, has died at age 65, surrounded by family and having received the last rites.

Born in Kent, England, MacGowan’s family hailed from County Tipperary in Ireland. He would go on to found and lead The Pogues, a Celtic punk band. His songwriting was as precise as his self-presentation was shambolic. Consider the reeling, hilarious, joyously vulgar tribute to a race horse named “Bottle of Smoke”: