Gerry Adams said Ireland is lucky to have ‘genius’ Shane MacGowan as he led the famous faces at the Pogues frontman’s art launch in Dublin.
The former Sinn Fein leader was among fans and famous faces including Louis Walsh and actor Patrick Bergin who attended a star-studded bash at The Park Cafe in Ballsbridge, in Dublin, to celebrate the launch of the singer’s new book, The Eternal Buzz And The Crock.
The book features 64-year-old Shane’s artwork and stories from his punk rock days, as well as handwritten lyrics and unpublished writing.
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Taking to the mic at the event on Tuesday night, Adams, said it was an honour to be in attendance and kicked off his speech by crediting MacGowan’s wife Victoria Mary Clarke for making the night happen.
He said: “Fair play to Victoria Mary Clarke for curating over 3,000 sketches,scribblings, lyrics, any number of graphic folic, provocative drawings and paintings by Shane, which she salvaged and saved and is now presenting to the world.
“Shane is lucky that he has had Victoria to mind him all this time, the ginger lady by his bed.
“And Ireland as a culture is lucky that we have Shane MacGowan to bring us his wonderful art, his music, him and the Pogues, and his wonderful songs.
“Works of a genius.”
“I remember way back, this just came into my head the other day, in 1972, when I was about 23, I was stopped here in Dublin coming out of the Sinn Fein office by a number of special branch men.
“And one in particular was giving off about Pearse, and Connolly, and rebels what did they ever do and whatever did they do for them.
“And then he said, sure yous ones nowadays, sure you are only the dregs of the bucket.
“It was like a line out of a Shane MacGowan song. And it stayed with me.”
He went on to quote some of his famous lyrics, including Fairytale of New York’s lines, ‘you scumbag, you maggot’ and “I could have been someone, well so could anyone’
“Shane you are someone, you are a special one, you are a rebel, and thank you for being a rebel,” he concluded.
Chef Richard Corrigan who hosted the launch at Park Cafe Dublin said: “Shane you are our hero, you are the London Irish we always wanted. You set the flag in the stone for everyone to follow. Thank you. Your songs will be sung forever.”
The book features sketches, paintings, self-portraits and photographs dating back to MacGowan’s childhood and through six decades of punk and Irish revelry.
It also boasts snaps that capture candid moments between the singer and his bandmates on tour, personal pictures at home and nights out with celebrities including Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Pete Doherty, Kate Moss, Bryan Adams and Daniel Day-Lewis.
It is limited to 1,000 copies, from shanemacgowan.com.
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