Shane MacGowan, the lead singer of The Pogues, left behind a will worth almost £5 million when he died, probate records show. The frontman and lyricist, known for the hits “Fairytale of New York”, “A Rainy Night in Soho”, and “Sally MacLennane”, died aged 65 in November 2023. His wife, Irish journalist and author Victoria Mary Clarke, gave his cause of death as pneumonia.
MacGowan had also been suffering from viral encephalitis, an uncommon condition causing inflammation of the brain, and had long-documented issues with drugs and alcohol. Probate records show that the gross value of his estate in England and Wales was £4.8 million, with a net value of the same amount. Clarke is named as both the sole executor and the sole beneficiary.
The document reads: “I give, devise and bequeath all I die possessed of, both real and personal and wheresoever situate, to the said Victoria Mary Clarke for her own absolute use and benefit and I appoint her my residuary legatee.” The will refers to Clarke as his “partner”, as it was signed on 14 March 2018, eight months before the couple married in Copenhagen, Denmark. MacGowan’s sister, novelist Siobhan MacGowan, was named to inherit everything if Clarke died before the singer. MacGowan was born to Irish parents in 1957 in Pembury, Kent, and he later moved to rural Tipperary where he was immersed in a culture of ceilidh bands and showbands.
The Pogues frontman died “peacefully” at 3am on 30 November 2023 with his wife and family by his side, a statement from his relatives said. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
He was due to celebrate his 66th birthday on Christmas Day. His funeral was held in Co Tipperary and featured performances from Australian musician Nick Cave, as well as celebrity guests including Hollywood actor Johnny Depp and Game Of Thrones star Aidan Gillen. Many fans had feared for MacGowan’s health ever since he almost drank himself to death in his twenties.
Yet he told The Guardian in one of his last interviews: “Of course I like life”. At the time of his death, Irish premier Leo Varadkar said that MacGowan had “beautifully captured the Irish experience”. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald described MacGowan as “a poet” who was unique in how he told “the Irish story”.
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