The Music Of Shane MacGowan & The Pogues
Sun 29 Nov, 2026 | Doors 7:00PM
€20.00 + €1.50 Booking Fee
The Music Of Shane MacGowan & The Pogues
A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF SHANE MACGOWAN AND THE POGUES BY BOYS FROM THE BLACK STUFF
On 30 November 2023, Ireland lost one of its most singular voices. Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan was more than a songwriter and poet; he was a cultural force whose journey stretched from the first wave of punk through to the global success of The Pogues, leaving behind one of the most enduring songs in popular music, Fairytale of New York.
Long before tribute concerts became commonplace, Shane himself had already given his blessing to one.
In 2018, Irish band Cronin approached MacGowan with the idea of performing a series of concerts celebrating his extraordinary catalogue across Europe and the UK. His response came with one condition: he wanted to choose the setlist himself.
The result was a journey through every chapter of his remarkable career, reaching beyond The Pogues to include songs from his first band, The Nips, alongside selections from his solo recordings with The Popes. To complete the line-up, brothers Johnny and Mick Cronin, together with Fiachra Milner and Brian Murphy, invited acclaimed accordion virtuoso Andy Nolan, a former member of The Popes and one of MacGowan’s closest musical collaborators.
The response was immediate. Audiences from Oslo to Amsterdam, Paris to Leeds embraced the shows, with performances selling out across Europe.
The pandemic brought touring to an abrupt halt, delaying plans for further concerts. When the music returned, it did so under profoundly different circumstances. In December 2023, Cronin and Andy Nolan formed the core backing band for Shane MacGowan’s funeral in Nenagh, accompanying an unforgettable gathering of artists including Nick Cave, Glen Hansard, Camille O’Sullivan, Mundy and Lisa O’Neill in a celebration that reflected the extraordinary breadth of MacGowan’s influence.
Following Shane’s passing, invitations to continue performing his music arrived from every direction. Out of respect for their friend, the band chose to wait.
That changed in late 2025 when Shane’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, encouraged them to revive the concerts. With her blessing, and that of Shane’s sister, Siobhán MacGowan, Cronin with Andy Nolan returned to the stage with a sold-out performance at The Boogaloo in Highgate, London—a venue closely associated with Shane himself.
The celebrations continue with the band’s contribution to a forthcoming all-star Shane MacGowan tribute album. Their recording of London, You’re a Lady will appear alongside performances by Bruce Springsteen, Hozier, U2, Dropkick Murphys and many other artists paying tribute to one of Ireland’s greatest musical storytellers.
Cronin’s connection to Shane MacGowan extends far beyond these concerts. After returning to Ireland, the band developed a close friendship with their hero and, over the final twelve years of his life, became one of his most trusted musical collaborators for recordings, live performances and special events. They appeared with him at Féis Liverpool, featured in the Sky Arts documentary Shane MacGowan: A Wreck Reborn, and played a significant role in the celebrations surrounding his 60th birthday, with Mick Cronin joining an all-star band featuring former members of The Pogues.
In November 2018, the Cronin brothers were also invited to perform alongside Johnny Depp at the wedding of Shane MacGowan and Victoria Mary Clarke in Copenhagen.
The relationship produced a remarkable body of work that remains unheard. Over the past eight years, Cronin and MacGowan recorded more than twentyl songs together. These recordings are currently being prepared for future release in collaboration with the Shane MacGowan Estate, ensuring that new chapters of his musical legacy are still to come.
As Shane himself once said of the band:
“The Cronins have a pure Celtic soul.” — Shane MacGowan
On 30 November 2023, Ireland lost one of its most singular voices. Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan was more than a songwriter and poet; he was a cultural force whose journey stretched from the first wave of punk through to the global success of The Pogues, leaving behind one of the most enduring songs in popular music, Fairytale of New York.
Long before tribute concerts became commonplace, Shane himself had already given his blessing to one.
In 2018, Irish band Cronin approached MacGowan with the idea of performing a series of concerts celebrating his extraordinary catalogue across Europe and the UK. His response came with one condition: he wanted to choose the setlist himself.
The result was a journey through every chapter of his remarkable career, reaching beyond The Pogues to include songs from his first band, The Nips, alongside selections from his solo recordings with The Popes. To complete the line-up, brothers Johnny and Mick Cronin, together with Fiachra Milner and Brian Murphy, invited acclaimed accordion virtuoso Andy Nolan, a former member of The Popes and one of MacGowan’s closest musical collaborators.
The response was immediate. Audiences from Oslo to Amsterdam, Paris to Leeds embraced the shows, with performances selling out across Europe.
The pandemic brought touring to an abrupt halt, delaying plans for further concerts. When the music returned, it did so under profoundly different circumstances. In December 2023, Cronin and Andy Nolan formed the core backing band for Shane MacGowan’s funeral in Nenagh, accompanying an unforgettable gathering of artists including Nick Cave, Glen Hansard, Camille O’Sullivan, Mundy and Lisa O’Neill in a celebration that reflected the extraordinary breadth of MacGowan’s influence.
Following Shane’s passing, invitations to continue performing his music arrived from every direction. Out of respect for their friend, the band chose to wait.
That changed in late 2025 when Shane’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, encouraged them to revive the concerts. With her blessing, and that of Shane’s sister, Siobhán MacGowan, Cronin with Andy Nolan returned to the stage with a sold-out performance at The Boogaloo in Highgate, London—a venue closely associated with Shane himself.
The celebrations continue with the band’s contribution to a forthcoming all-star Shane MacGowan tribute album. Their recording of London, You’re a Lady will appear alongside performances by Bruce Springsteen, Hozier, U2, Dropkick Murphys and many other artists paying tribute to one of Ireland’s greatest musical storytellers.
Cronin’s connection to Shane MacGowan extends far beyond these concerts. After returning to Ireland, the band developed a close friendship with their hero and, over the final twelve years of his life, became one of his most trusted musical collaborators for recordings, live performances and special events. They appeared with him at Féis Liverpool, featured in the Sky Arts documentary Shane MacGowan: A Wreck Reborn, and played a significant role in the celebrations surrounding his 60th birthday, with Mick Cronin joining an all-star band featuring former members of The Pogues.
In November 2018, the Cronin brothers were also invited to perform alongside Johnny Depp at the wedding of Shane MacGowan and Victoria Mary Clarke in Copenhagen.
The relationship produced a remarkable body of work that remains unheard. Over the past eight years, Cronin and MacGowan recorded more than twentyl songs together. These recordings are currently being prepared for future release in collaboration with the Shane MacGowan Estate, ensuring that new chapters of his musical legacy are still to come.
As Shane himself once said of the band:
“The Cronins have a pure Celtic soul.” — Shane MacGowan