Johnny Depp and Nick Cave will jet in for the funeral of their longtime friend Shane McGowan.
After much speculation about who will attend the Pogues frontman’s final farewell, the Irish Independent can confirm both A-list stars will be present for the legendary star’s send off.
Depp, who was best man at MacGowan’s wedding in 2018, is said to be devastated at the loss. While Cave reacted to the news of MacGowan’s passing by calling him “a true friend” and “the greatest songwriter of his generation.”
The route of Shane MacGowan’s funeral procession through Dublin has also been confirmed. It will take place this Friday morning around the south inner city, not far from where Mr MacGowan lived in Ballsbridge with his wife Victoria Mary Clarke.
A horse-drawn carriage will be led by the Artane Band and a piper, and will travel through Ringsend and Pearse Street from 10.30am to 11.45am.
The procession will begin at the junction of South Lotts Road and Ringsend Road at 10.30am and travel across McMahon Bridge, onto Pearse Street and to the junction of Lombard Street East and Westland Row.
It will end at the top of Westland Row near Sweeney’s Pharmacy. The procession is expected to last about an hour and a quarter.
A traffic management plan will be put in place by gardaí with some road closures and traffic held at junctions during the course of the procession.
Following the route around the capital, the hearse and family cars will depart for Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
The Funeral Mass for Mr McGowan will be celebrated in St Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh at 3.30pm.
The Chief Celebrant for this mass will be Fr Pat Gilbert who is the co-parish priest.
In recent days, Nick Cave has written a tribute essay to both MacGowan and Sinead O’Connor.
MacGowan’s death has come just five months after the news of O’Connor’s sudden passing and the two musicians had a long enduring friendship.
In a lengthy essay written on his Red Hand Files website, Cave reminisced on MacGowan’s 60th birthday gig in Dublin where Cave and O’Connor performed, along with Bono, The Libertines’ and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie.
He recalled that he felt “agitated and nervous about performing” and was “surrounded by all of these artists doing beautiful versions of Shane’s songs” and, he explained: “I don’t know, I guess I was feeling a bit out of sorts that evening.”
He went on to say he spotted O’Connor “standing slightly separate from everyone else, half hidden by the curtain, gazing at the floor, looking fierce and intense.”
“I didn’t really know Sinéad,” wrote Cave. “I’d met her a few times here and there, and maybe chatted briefly with her, but I had always liked her uniqueness, her raging spirit, her disagreeableness, her beautifulness and, of course, her celestial voice.
“Sinéad looked up and caught my eye, smiled, and walked over and hugged me,” he continued. “I’m not sure why, but I was terribly moved by her gesture. She was so warm and giving and kind in that moment. I was unaware quite how precious a moment it would turn out to be.”
The singer-songwriter also recalled MacGowan’s wife Victoria pushing Shane on stage in a wheelchair.
“I know I should be talking about the pure unbridled genius of Shane MacGowan and how he was the greatest songwriter of his generation, with the most terrifyingly beautiful of voices — all of which is true,” wrote Cave.
“But what struck me at that moment was the extraordinary display of love for this man, so powerful and deep, that poured forth from the audience. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”
He said the touching moment brought a Raymond Carver poem to mind called ‘Late Fragment’.
Meanwhile, in 2020, Depp opened up about how he “fell in love” with MacGowan when they first met.
“When I met Shane he was negotiating a pool table. There was a drink in this hand, a pint, and in this hand, there was a guitar.
“And he was teetering, balancing back and forth trying to negotiate which way to fall. I watched him do that for about 15 minutes.
“Then I was introduced to him, before he fell, and from that moment on, you just knew… there are moments in life when you know this will happen one time and one time only, when you get the opportunity to spend time with greatness.
“Having known him [MacGowan] a long, long time I can only say I fell in love with him the second I met him and I’m still in love with him to this day.
“His wife Victoria is a wonderful partner for Shane, they’re best friends, and I’ve seen that continue over these many years under all kinds of duress.”
In 2022, MacGowan and his wife Victoria publicly backed Depp during his defamation battle against Amber Heard.
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