Victoria Mary Clarke says ‘let love in’ as she pays tribute to her ‘soulmate’ Shane MacGowan

Mrs Clarke announced the death of her iconic husband at 65, just one week after he was discharged from hospital, where he was in intensive care fighting an infection from a viral encephalitis diagnosis he received last year.

She described Shane, who she met at 16, eight years his junior and married in 2018 after a decades-long relationship, as the “love of my life” and the “most beautiful soul and beautiful angel.”

“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,” Mrs Clarke wrote.

In a further tribute today, Mrs Clarke, a music journalist, said hospital nurses kept asking why Shane MacGowan was “covered in lipstick” during his long stay at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

“If you get to meet your soulmate please do let love in even if you have to suffer loss,” she added.

The Fairytale of New York singer was born in Kent, England to Irish parents, his mother Therese from Tipperary and his father Maurice from Dublin. MacGowan was raised in Tipperary until the age of six.

The music icon led the Pogues from 1982 to 1991, with their most critically acclaimed album If I Should Fall from Grace with God being released in 1988.

This period also marked the high point of the band's commercial success. MacGowan returned to the Pogues a decade later with a sell-out tour in 2001, where he remained until 2014.

Following his death at 3am on Thursday, surrounded by his family, Imelda May, a lifelong friend paid tribute, thanking MacGowan for opening his heart and “sharing with us your glorious talents.”

She described his songwriting as genius and said his poetry “wove words of wisdom.”

In a tribute this morning, Moya Brennan, Irish folk singer said there was sadness in my heart with the news of my dear friend,

"Shane I was lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity to sing with him, and to call him a friend. My love goes to Victoria Mary and the rest of his family and friends,” she wrote on X/Twitter.

MacGowan is predeceased by his mother Therese and survived by his wife Victoria, his sister Siobhan and his father, Maurice, family and a large circle of friends.

After announcing the death of her husband yesterday, Mrs Clare said there were “no words to describe the loss I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that light 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,” she said in tribute to her late husband.

Further details of his funeral are due to be announced shortly, with the family asking for privacy at this very sad time.