Star-studded MacGowan tribute album gave grieving wife purpose

On the day of Shane MacGowan's funeral, his heartbroken wife found comfort in the same thing that moved and captivated the rest of the world that afternoon - the music that filled a parish church in Nenagh, County Tipperary.Mundy and Camille O'Sullivan performed Haunted. Nick Cave sang A Rainy Night in Soho. And Glen Hansard and Lisa O'Neil led mourners in a send-off rendition of Fairytale of New York."I thought, well, if we just got all the people who were at the funeral on a record, that'd be something pretty special," Victoria Mary Clarke told BBC News NI. On Friday, three years after her husband's death, that idea came to fruition with the release of 20th Century Paddy."It must be wonderful for Shane... I think up in heaven, he's very aware of what's going on," said Clarke. There are 36 tracks on the new album - all penned by MacGowan - and 40 bands and soloists. Among those are contributions from two acclaimed Irish artists who have passed away since recording their covers for the album. Glen Hansard is featured performing Bottle of Smoke, while Moya Brennan provides her interpretation of Mother Mo Chroi."I feel love and connection between the artists (on the album) and Shane. "And also, you know, for me personally, it feels like a lot of love because when somebody sends something nice to Shane, they're sending it to me."The Pogues frontman died aged 65 at his Dublin home in 2023, following a hospital stay after being diagnosed with encephalitis.David Keenan, a singer-songwriter from Dundalk, whose thoughtful lyrics and intense live performances are invoke something of MacGowan himself, told BBC News NI he was honoured to be asked to add to the album."Fairytale of New York is as old as Christmas for me," said David.But his epiphany moment came when an uncle gave him The Pogues' third album.At 11 years old, Keenan said If I Should Fall from Grace with God "lit a flame" inside him."Up 'til that point it was just chart music."That (album) was the first time I heard all these references to mythology and drink and rebellion and, you know, heartache."And poetry, proper poetry."The Louth man described it like an awakening. "It gave me permission as a kid to get stuck into real lyric writing. And to do it in the traditional and folk form."On 20th Century Paddy, Keenan covered Sick Bed of Cúchulainn - a celtic punk ballad from their 1985 album Rum Sodomy and the Lash, the central allusion of which is the mythical Irish warrior Cúchulainn.This has real significance for Keenan, who as a child in Louth, used to play near the standing stone (Clochafarmore) where Cuchulainn was said to have been killed.And the circularity didn't stop there. He did his recording of the song in Drumlish, County Longford, where he said "Shane used to record too". "It was just was surreal and at the same time perfect, you know."