Shane MacGowan’s cause of death has been confirmed after he passed away on Thursday aged 65.
The legendary Irish singer’s widow, journalist Victoria Mary Clark, said that MacGowan died from pneumonia, his widow is said to have confirmed to The New York Times.
The Pogues frontman suffered from periods of ill health for many years, and was wheelchair bound since 2015 after he broke his pelvis.
Last week, the rocker was discharged from St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin ahead of his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.
The rocker had revealed he was diagnosed with encephalitis last year in a video posted to social media on New Year’s Eve. It is is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed, according to the NHS website.
MacGowan, best known for hit festive song Fairytale Of New York, died “peacefully” at 3am on Thursday with his wife and family by his side, a statement from his relatives said.
I am going to miss him so much! His smile, his eyes his laugh his sense of humour and his voice, every little part of him ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/kGnnU3sBeD
— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) November 30, 2023
On Friday, Clarke has expressed how she’s “going to miss him so much” in a heartfelt tribute shared on X, formerly Twitter.
Posting several photos of MacGowan throughout the years, she wrote alongside one: “I am going to miss him so much! His smile, his eyes, his laugh, his sense of humour and his voice, every little part of him.”
She then went on to post a photo of the pair sharing a kiss, adding: “In the hospital the nurses kept asking why he was covered in lipstick.
“If you get to meet your soulmate please do let love in even if you have to suffer loss.”
MacGowan and Clarke had been together for more than 35 years.
They tied the knot in a small ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2018 in front of guests including Hollywood star Johnny Depp.
