Shane MacGowan left €10,000 behind bar for VIP wake

Shane MacGowan‘s “last request” was to have €10,000 left behind the bar at a VIP wake after his funeral last week.

The Pogues musician was laid to rest on December 8 after he died from pneumonia in hospital, aged 65, on November 30.

Fans lined the streets of Dublin ahead of his funeral, which took place in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland, and was attended by Johnny Depp, Nick Cave, Glen Hansard and Irish President Michael D. Higgins.

The Irish artist is said to have left money behind the bar of The Thatched Cottage in Nenagh, an unnamed “former drinking partner” of MacGowan’s told The Independent.

“I know the pub they are going to for the meal after there has already been €10,000 handed over the counter for free beer – it was Shane’s last request,” they said.

“It is a beautiful place just outside of town but there is only a limited amount of people allowed.”

Thank you so much @GardaTraffic for your help today and for the escort for @ShaneMacGowan pic.twitter.com/CDfEZIViD9

— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) December 8, 2023

It’s not known who footed the bill at the invite-only wake, but the publication reported that dozens of mourners stated it was funded by MacGowan’s estate.

Guests reportedly needed concert-style passes and lanyards to get through the doors, which were guarded by 10 people.

Mourners who reportedly attended the wake which took place from 6pm until dawn included Depp, Hansard, Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and MacGowan’s Pogues bandmates.

Hansard played the Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’ to mourners inside the bar, just as he did at the funeral earlier in the day alongside Lisa O’Neill and members of the band.

Cave also performed at the funeral, playing a powerful version of The Pogues‘ ‘A Rainy Night in Soho’.

When you lose a loved one you need to be able to focus on the blessings and I want to thank #johnnydepp for being a tower of strength and for supporting me and @ShaneMacGowan in so many ways with such respect and compassion and loyalty ❤️ photo @ginadeuters pic.twitter.com/uIyuGiASOL

— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) December 10, 2023

Johnny Depp delivered a personal reading to the man he described as the “maestro”, while Irish singers Mundy and Camille O’Sullivan performed a rendition of ‘Haunted’, the duet recorded by MacGowan and Sinead O’Connor in 1995.

MacGowan‘s widow Victoria Mary Clarke has since shared her gratitude to Depp, calling him a “tower of strength”.

U2‘s Bono was unable to attend the service, but a recording of him reading out the Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians was played. The Irish rock band previously paid tribute by playing a cover of The Pogues’ ‘A Rainy Night in Soho’ at Las Vegas’ Sphere.