DRUNK, BROKEN TEETH, WHEELCHAIR, HOSPITAL – BUT SHANE REMAINED ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

Shane MacGowan has died after an eight-year battle with failing health.

The Pogues front man was a potent mix of Irishman, Baudelairian mythology and rock ‘n’ roll toxicity.

And like all good poets he wrote magical works, in his case mainly songs like Fairytale and Brown Eyes… he was brittle, edgy, drunk, wasted, teeth missing, a gypsy-type.

Shane MacGowan was beautiful in his own way, and there’s not much more you can take from life is there?

He had been diagnosed with viral encephalitis – a serious condition which leads to brain swelling – passed away at 3am this morning.

Shane’s wife Victoria shared a heartbreaking statement:

Victoria said he was “the start and end of everything that I hold dear”.

She said: “I don’t know how to say this so I am just going to say it.

“Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life and the most beautiful soul and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of everything that I hold dear has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese.

“I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures.”

GOOD ON YA SHANE!