Shane MacGowan was born on Christmas Day in Kent, but lived in Ireland until he was six - since leaving the London Irishman came home to his roots regularly and kept in touch with some of his oldest pals in his Tipperary local.
The entire world is taking today to remember the Pogues frontman, with President Michael D Higgins describing him as one of music's greatest lyricists, adding that his songs would be "perfectly crafted poems".
Many of those who've had the pleasure of seeing MacGowan perform might have done so in his Nenagh local.
Philly Ryan's pub was his favourite hostelry in Tipperary and it's where he smoked and drank and sang Irish songs including some of his own like The Broad Majestic Shannon in honour of where he spent his early years.
His old friends came to the bar today and reminisced about the great nights they had in the intimate traditional setting.
Some there today said they had spent the last few days visiting him in hospital to say their goodbyes.
They chuckled through their tears as they recalled him smiling and winking to the end.
Together they sang a line from a song that immortalised Scruffy Kenny who was a little overcome today.
"Drinking whiskey in the ditch with Scruffy and Brick and Noel"....
Philly Ryan is a pal of Shane since 1987 when he came to the pub as a young trad punk in the Pogues.
"He was Brendan Behan and Sinead O'Connor and Johnny Rotten all rolled into one. He was a genius and he was one of us. We loved seeing him arrive here into the pub on Christmas Eve and his songs will be the only music heard in this town and this county this Christmas."
