Shane MacGowan funeral – latest: Johnny Depp, Bono and Bob Geldof give readings at Tipperary service

The Darkness launched into a spine-tingling rendition of Fairy Tale of New York getting the Dublin crowd to sing along on the night before his funeral.

The rockers captioned the video shot at the Olympia Theatre: “Thanks for the sing-a-long Dublin. R.I.P. Shane MacGowan”

Popular local outfit Cronin were chosen to play Shane MacGowan’s funeral alongside international megastar Nick Cave.

The Longford band have a long relationship with the late Pogues frontman, having joined forces on RTE’s Late Late Show.

Singer Mick Cronin said the memories of recording with Shane and playing at festivals will always stay with them.

“We have lost a dear friend, an idol, a collaborator, a band member, a Fenian, a genius and a proud Irishman,” he said.

The Pogues biggest hit could top the charts in Ireland after a fierce campaign launched when it was realised Fairytale was being beaten to No 1 in the UK by Wham and Mariah Carey.

Shane’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke had shared the Irish Sun front page on her Instagram Stories helping a late push that put the Christmas classic 700 units ahead of Noah Kahan in the Irish charts.

An Irish chart insider told The Irish Sun: “Pogues fans have embraced downloading.

“It’s a Fairytale comeback that would put a smile on Shane’s face.”

After much speculation the Irish Sun is reporting that U2 megastar Bono will be unable to attend Shane MacGowan’s final farewell in Tipperary, as U2 are due to perform a sold-out Las Vegas show that same night.

A source said: “U2 are due to play Las Vegas on Friday night and it’s sold-out, there is no way the lads could make it back for Shane’s funeral unfortunately.

“They are very saddened by this. Shane was a great friend of the lads, Bono and The Edge were among the few allowed in to see him. They’ll honour him in their own way.”

Nick Cave and Johnny Depp are expected to be at the Public Mass in Nenagh.

The Pogues singer’s coffin is scheduled to arrive by hearse at Ringsend at 10.30am on Friday and once there it will be transferred to a horse-drawn carriage.

At 11am, the carriage is due to be led by the Artane Band and a lone piper along South Lotts Road, over McMahon Bridge and Grand Canal Dock, and along Pearse Street.

It will be followed by the chief mourners, led by the singer’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke, in a procession.

His personal driver and former pub landlord Philly Ryan will be in the hearse.

The hearse and family cars will then leave Dublin for Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

The funeral Mass is to be held at 3.30pm in St Mary of the Rosary Church, Nenagh, close to the homeplace of MacGowan’s mother, Therese.

With a high turnout expected, the funeral mass is to be broadcast live via the official Shane MacGowan Facebook page and across pubs in the area.

Nick Cave, who has been confirmed as playing a song at the Public Mass for Shane MacGowan on Friday, penned a poignant tribute to the “beautiful and damaged” singer.

He recalled a tribute gig to Shane on his 60th birthday in Dublin on his Red Hand Files blog.

He wrote: “Shane’s wife, Victoria, then pushed Shane on in a wheelchair and, well, 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 — 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.

“Shane was not revered just for his manifold talents but also loved for himself alone. A beautiful and damaged man, who embodied a kind of purity and innocence and generosity and spiritual intelligence unlike any other.

“Sinéad once said of Shane, ‘He is an angel. An actual angel’. Whether or not this is the case, who’s to say? But Shane was blessed with an uncommon spirit of goodness and a deep sense of what is true, which was strangely amplified in his brokenness, his humanness. We can say of him most certainly, ‘he was beloved on the earth,’ and Sinéad too — truly beloved and greatly missed, both.”

Independent Cllr Séamie Morris who has been busy organising road closures and The Pogues music pumping through the Nenagh town centre gave the Independent a tour of Shane MacGowan’s favourite pub Philly Ryan’s.

He told The Independent: “The town has been mucking in together. The council workers have been working so hard to make the town look sparkling.

“To get into the church will be nigh on impossible I’m struggling to get my own wife a seat. The Mass will hopefully be streamed in all the pubs nearby which would be a lovely atmosphere.”

He added there will be plans to honour the singer with a mural or statue in town to recognise his incredible legacy.

“Even Bruce Springsteen says he is a genius some say Johnny Depp has been in town for the last couple of days. He will always be remembered here and his name will live on.

“As a musician and a wordsmith. It is a huge loss to the entire world. I’ve heard his music play in bars across Kathmandu.

“He had the Irish immigrant experience coming from England. If he lived here his whole life he could have ended up working on a building site. He needed that journey to make him who he is.”

Victoria Mary Clarke, wife of late Pogues singer Shane MacGowan, has reflected on her relationship with the musician ahead of his funeral on Friday.

The irrepressible Anglo-Irish frontman, known for songs including “Fairytale of New York” and “The Old Main Drag”, died last week aged 65.

His wife said the cause of his death was pneumonia.

Philly Ryan’s, the pub where you could most likely find Shane MacGowan having a Guinness, has left his favourite stool empty the night before his funeral.

Regulars shared memories of MacGowan bursting into song unexpectedly from this spot. It is a normal day with the snooker on a big screen and the Christmas tree lights blinking.

It is the calm before the storm where thousands are expected to descend on the town and the pubs to pay their respects on Friday.

Philly Ryan, the former landlord who will also act as MacGowan ’s undertaker, said the singer approached him in 2017 to talk about his funeral at his wife Victoria’s birthday party.

MacGowan ’s body lies just over the road from his favourite pub.

Music will feature strongly at Shane MacGowan’s mass, which gets underway at 3.30pm on Friday after his casket is driven around Dublin.

Nick Cave, who called MacGowan the “greatest songwriter of his generation”, will be among those performing at the public mass at St Mary’s of the Rosary Church in Nenagh.

Singers at the emotional ceremony will be Glen Hansard, Finbarr Furey, Cave and Lisa O’Neill.

For those unable to squeeze into the church the ceremony will be streamed live around pubs in the town with mourners encouraged to raise a glass to The Pogues singer.