The death has been announced of Pogues frontman and songwriter Shane MacGowan. He was 65 and had been ill for some time.
In a statement shared on social media, The Pogues wrote: "It is with the deepest of sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Shane MacGowan.
"Shane died peacefully at 3am this morning with his wife Victoria and family by his side."
MacGowan had been receiving treatment at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin for several months. He was discharged on 22 November and returned home to spend time with his friends and family.
In the 1980s, he led the Irish punk band who are best known for their hit festive song Fairytale Of New York which was released in 1987.
In a post on Instagram, MacGowan's wife, Victoria Mary Clarke wrote: "There's no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you for your presence in this world you made it so very bright and you gave so much joy to so many people with your heart and soul and your music.
"You will live in my heart forever. Rave on in the garden all wet with rain that you loved so much"
Watch: Shane MacGowan sings The Irish Rover with The Dubliners on The Late Late Show
In a statement, President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to MacGowan, describing him as "one of music's greatest lyricists".
President Higgins said that so many of MacGowan's "songs would be perfectly crafted poems, if that would not have deprived us of the opportunity to hear him sing them.
Watch: Messages for Shane MacGowan from friends and famous faces during Late Late Show special in 2019
"His words have connected Irish people all over the globe to their culture and history, encompassing so many human emotions in the most poetic of ways.
He added: "On behalf of Sabina and I, may I extend my deepest condolences to Shane's wife Victoria, his sister Siobhán, his father Maurice, his bandmates in the Pogues and other projects, and to all his many friends and family."
Speaking to RTÉ MacGowan's former bandmate Spider Stacy said he was "stunned" and "still trying to process" the news that The Pogues frontman had died.
He added: "I am filled with a sense of an enormous loss and God bless you and keep you Shane. I'll see you in Elysium."
Born in Kent, MacGowan spent much of his childhood with his mother's family in Co Tipperary, where he was surrounded by folk and traditional music.
Aged 13, he excelled at English literature and won a scholarship to secondary school, although he did not finish his secondary education.
In the 1970s, he became part of the punk scene in London and, as 'Shane O’Hooligan’, formed the band The Nipple Erectors, also known as the Nips.
Some years later, he, Jem Finer and Spider Stacey formed the band that was to become, first Pogue Mahone, and later the Pogues.
The Pogues drew on MacGowan’s punk roots together with his knowledge of Irish folk music to produce a unique sound and their live shows were hugely popular, particularly with a young, London-based Irish audience.
Their first album, Red Roses for Me was released in 1984, and they toured widely, including acts such as Elvis Costello. A second album, Rum Sodomy and the Lash, was both commercially and critically acclaimed for its mixture of classic folk songs, including Dirty Old Town and MacGowan’s new compositions.
A bet in 1987, that MacGowan could not write a Christmas song, led to the band’s biggest hit, Fairytale of New York, a duet with the late Kirsty MacColl.
But relentless touring and the band's hectic lifestyle was taking its toll and MacGowan and the band parted company in 1991. He embarked on a solo career and also performed with a new band, The Popes, but eventually rejoined The Pogues in 2001.
By the 2010s however, MacGowan’s health was beginning to deteriorate, and he became unable to perform.
A celebration was held at the National Concert Hall in 2018 to mark his 60th birthday, with performers including Bono, Sinéad O’Connor, Nick Cave and Glen Hansard all paying tribute, while President Michael D Higgins presented MacGowan with a lifetime achievement award.
MacGowan married his long-time partner Victoria Mary Clarke in 2018.
During the Covid lockdowns, she curated a book of his lyrics and drawings which he had been working on for decades and a limited-edition book, The Eternal Buzz and the Crock of Gold, was released in late 2022.
Shane MacGowan is survived by his wife Victoria, father Maurice and sister Siobhán.
Read more:
Shane MacGowan: Twilight of a Celtic champion
Shane MacGowan: A Life in Pictures
Watch: Bruce Springsteen called Shane MacGowan a 'master'
