GALLERY: ‘Everything he could have possibly hoped for’ - high praise at MacGowan mural launch

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PHOTO: ODHRAN DUCIE

There was a fantastic turn out last Sunday at the launch of the new Shane MacGowan mural at Emmet Place in Nenagh.

Emmet Place and the surrounding streets filled with people  from near and afar who showed up on the sunny day to see the mural, show their appreciation to artist Neil O’Dwyer and listen to the multitude of local and big name musicians that took to the stage adjacent to the mural.

Artist Neil O’Dwyer was on hand from the beginning to take pictures with family members and admirers of the painting. 

He stood, deservedly proud, near the painting as hundreds took selfies with the multi-story depiction of The Pogues singer. 

Music played in the nearby car park, where local artists like Dáwna, Gary Scully, Grace Tooher and Caithlin McGrath took to the stage to entertain the crowd.

The music paused at 3pm and Nenagh district administrator Rosemary Joyce took to the microphone to introduce a number of guest speakers with the mural as backdrop. 

Nenagh MD Cathaoirleach Fiona Bonfield was first to speak and gave a breakdown of how the mural came to be and the how Tipperary Town artist Neil O’Dwyer was selected for the project.

Neil spoke next and became emotional with pride when discussing his joy in getting to work on the mural:  “Thanks to Rosemary, Melanie, Siobhan, Victoria and to you all here in Nenagh and further afield for your amazing feedback and positive response which of course means everything on a project as special as this.

“They tell me Shane would have approved and that’ll do me."

Shane’s sister Siobhan MacGowan followed Neil. Always the engaging speaker, she explained why she wanted Neil for the piece and how proud Shane would be of it: 

“It was clear that (Neil) would give his heart and soul to delivering what was so important to us as a family that Shane’s expression and true likeness be captured. 

“As he began the work, it quickly became obvious that he was going to fulfil and exceed our every hope.

“The mural has such a real presence and strong sense of Shane that I can almost feel him here looking down upon us.

“When I pass it is almost as if I’m popping by to say hello.

“I cannot thank Neil enough for giving us, Shane’s family, such a precious gift and  for bringing him alive for the whole town. 

“A place where he can always be with us, where we can tip our hats to him, blow a kiss or sit on the bench to play with him a tune as some have already started doing.”

Siobhan finished by saying: “Shane’s passion and love for this place was palpable.

 “When he started his Irish band in the unlikely setting of an 80s London, it would have been beyond his wildest imaginings that one day his image would tower like the castle and church steeple, over this town he loved.

“It truly would have been the measure of his dreams.

“Thank you all for making that dream come true.”

 Shane’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, was last to speak: “We spent most of our lives living in London but every time anybody asked Shane where he lived, he always said he lived in Tipperary. 

“I think this would be like getting your statue on Times Square for  a New Yorker. 

“For him to have his mural in Nenagh would have been everything he could have possibly hoped for, except maybe if he could get Tom Creagh on the other wall to keep him company,” She joked.

“He was a man who lived from his heart, who lived from his soul.

“He was exactly as you saw him, how you probably knew him.

“Someone like that being portrayed on a wall gives us hope. 

“He was the opposite of fake and the fact that we can put him on a wall here says something pretty good about our society.

“This was the place that inspired him and created him. 

“I want to thank all of you for creating Shane.”

Following the speeches, celebrations continued on into the evening with perfomances from Mundy and Sharon Shannon. There was also certainly a few who continued on into the night in Shane’s favourite haunt, Philly Ryan’s pub.