Victoria Mary Clarke expressed her gratitude to actor and musician Johnny Depp for his “compassion and loyalty” towards her late husband, The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan.
The Anglo-Irish musician was laid to rest in Ireland on December 9, with a rock’n’roll-style ceremony attended by stars such as Nick Cave, Sir Bob Geldof, and Game of Thrones actor Aiden Gillen.
Footage from inside St Mary of the Rosary Church captured a fittingly lively farewell for the irrepressible musician, featuring a spirited singalong to his iconic hit “Fairytale of New York,” led by Irish singers Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill. Cave performed “A Rainy Night in Soho” on the piano.
When you lose a loved one you need to be able to focus on the blessings and I want to thank #johnnydepp for being a tower of strength and for supporting me and @ShaneMacGowan in so many ways with such respect and compassion and loyalty ❤️ photo @ginadeuters pic.twitter.com/uIyuGiASOL
— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) December 10, 2023
Depp, who played the guitar at MacGowan’s 2018 wedding to Clarke in Amsterdam, was photographed carrying MacGowan’s coffin into the church after a procession through central Dublin. He also delivered a reading of the Prayer of the Faithful during the service.
Irish author Clarke expressed her appreciation on X/Twitter, saying, “When you lose a loved one, you need to be able to focus on the blessings, and I want to thank [Johnny Depp] for being a tower of strength and for supporting me and Shane MacGowan in so many ways with such respect and compassion and loyalty.”
She shared a photo of her and Depp holding red roses, crediting Deuters as the photographer.
Mourners lined the streets to bid farewell to MacGowan, who passed away on November 30 at the age of 65. Clarke stated that pneumonia was the cause of death.
MacGowan’s coffin, carried in a glass horse-drawn carriage during the procession, was adorned with the Irish tricolor and black and white photos of the singer in his youth. Additional gatherings took place in the town of Nenagh in Co Tipperary.
The funeral, described as far from somber, was filled with music, laughter, and appreciation. In her eulogy, Clarke hailed MacGowan as “a genius and a beautiful soul,” presenting symbols marking his life, including the Crock Of Gold book of his art and lyrics, and a tray used by former bandmate Spider Stacy during gigs.
