The death has occurred of the father of the late singer songwriter Shane MacGowan following a short illness. He was 96.
Maurice MacGowan died on Monday at University Hospital Limerick, surrounded by his family.
He was originally from Ranelagh in Dublin, but also lived in Silvermines and Nenagh in Co Tipperary.
Mr MacGowan was predeceased by his wife Therese and son Shane, who was frontman of the Pogues and who died in November 2023 at the age of 65.
He is survived by his daughter Siobhan, son-in-law Anthony, and daughter-in-law Victoria Mary Clarke.
Siobhan MacGowan highlighted that Maurice was a hugely positive influence on Shane’s literary development, adding that Shane “also inherited a lot of Maurice’s personality”.
‘Enormous influence’
“Shane’s dad was such an enormous influence on his work and I don’t think people realise that,” she said.
“He was the one getting him reading Joyce and Flann O Brien and Behan and everyone when he was a little kid instead of children’s books, and Shane always credited him with his love for great literature and his appreciation for poetry.
“His ability to be authentic and unfiltered and really funny in a dry and sharp way was Maurice and his inherent self-belief and lack of a need to impress anyone.”
“Shane would have long conversations with his father and he would ask Maurice what he was listening to and it was always something really interesting,” she said.
“He had an incredibly eclectic taste, and he was right up to date with everything that was happening in the music world.
“And of course he was a composer and a poet himself. He passed on his genes!”
A funeral service for him will be held at the Shannon Crematorium on Saturday.
Mourners are invited to make donations, if desired, to St Vincent De Paul in lieu of flowers.