Shane MacGowan’s widow comforts herself by going to his beloved church mass
Following his death on 30 November, Shane MacGowan’s widow has revealed she has comforted herself in her grief by going to the church mass The Pogues wildman “loved”.
Shane MacGowan’s widow has comforted herself by going to the church mass The Pogues wildman “loved”.
Victoria Mary Clarke, who married the late Pogues frontman in 2018 after they had spent decades together, opened up about going to church in the latest of her lengthy Instagram posts paying tribute to the ‘Fairytale of New York’ singer, who died aged 65 on 30 November after a string of illnesses including pneumonia.
She said: “I was feeling really desolate this morning but I was lucky enough to be able to get to Mass in Cuil Aodh home of the famous choir led by Peadar O Riada. It was a transcendent experience to feel the joy and love (red heart emoji) in the church and in the congregation and in the healing voices of the choir.
“Shane always loved to take Holy Communion and he could really get a buzz from it and I definitely found a level of peace that had been feeling out of reach.
“Just the sound of the beautiful voices and the incense and the beauty of the Irish language being spoken was glorious and healing.”
Victoria added about meeting her old school headteacher at the event: “And I was thrilled to meet my old headmaster from school, Michael O Lionaird who always encouraged me to be myself when I was at school even if that meant wearing a Mohican and a miniskirt!
“It feels so warm and welcoming and supportive to back in West Cork where none of the roads are signposted and you have to learn to see in the dark peadaroriada1 #cooleachoir.”
Victoria has previously said on Instagram she feels connected to Shane’s “presence”.
She told fans “you really don’t need to feel sad for me” as “@shanemacgowanofficial is still very much with me in every moment and I feel very connected with him and I feel enormous love (red heart emoji) and encouragement from him and I feel his sense of humour and his pure joy (smiling face emoji) and presence as if he is actually a part of me and he is never going to leave me because he is in my heart (red heart emoji) I love that so many of you are celebrating his music and his life and his warmth and compassion and grace and beauty and it is a powerful thing to witness”.
Victoria signed off her post with: “There’s a lot of people that I want to individually thank for making his funeral so special and magical (fairy emoji) and I will probably be doing it for a long time!!!! Bless everyone everywhere always.”
