The Pogues' Christmas classic Fairytale of New York has returned to No 1 in Ireland on the day of front man Shane MacGowan’s funeral - and 36 years after it first hit the top of the charts in Ireland.
The timeless duet between MacGowan, who died last week, and Kirsty MacColl, who died in 2000, was penned by MacGowan and Jem Finer and featured on the band’s 1988 album If I Should Fall From Grace With God.
Famously, the song never reached the coveted top spot on the UK Christmas chart on its initial release and was kept at No 2 by the Pet Shop Boys' cover of Always on My Mind. However, Fairytale has reached the UK Top 20 every Christmas since 2005.
It is also a regular feature in the Irish Top 10 on its re-release at Christmas In Ireland.
MacGown’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke has said she would love to see the track finally hit the top spot in the UK.
The song topped numerous best Christmas song polls over the years and has been covered by the likes of Ronan Keating and Jon Bon Jovi.
Also on the newly revealed Irish singles chart for this week, Pogues’ song A Rainy Night In Soho is at No 15, while A Pair Of Brown Eyes is new at No 41.
On the new Irish album chart, The Best of The Pogues is new at No 2, the band’s 1985 album Rum Sodomy & The Lash is back at No 6, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, first released in 1988, is at No 16 and further compilation The Very Best Of The Pogues is No 26.
Ireland’s Top 10 singles
22 (last week) 1 (this week) Fairytale Of New York - The Pogues Ft Kirsty Maccoll (Rhino/Warner Music)
(1) 2 Stick Season - Noah Kahan (Republic Records/Universal Music)
(2) 3 Lovin On Me - Jack Harlow (Atlantic/Warner Music)
(3) 4 Prada - Casso/Raye/D-Block Europe (Ministry Of Sound/Sony Music)
(8) 5 Last Christmas - Wham (Epic/Sony Music)
(7) 6 All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey (Columbia/Sony Music)
(15) 7 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee (MCA/Universal Music)
(4) 8 Greedy - Tate McRae (Ministry Of Sound/Sony Music)
(21) 9 Merry Christmas - Ed Sheeran & Elton John (Atlantic/EMI/Universal Music/Warner Music)
(19) 10 Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms (MCA/Universal Music)
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