Shane MacGowan’s wife has said the singer was “so vibrant and beautiful and so determined to live only a few days ago” before his death at the age of 65.

The Pogues’ frontman died “peacefully” at 3am on Thursday, just weeks before his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.

On Monday, Victoria Mary Clarke wrote on X: “It’s so hard to believe that someone could be so vibrant and beautiful and so determined to live only a few days ago.

“But so many people are losing loved ones all over the world. My prayers are for all of you guys as Shane’s would be.”

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The Irish journalist, 57, had been keeping fans regularly updated on his health condition and in late November she said he was recently discharged from St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

In a follow-up post on Monday, she also wrote: “Shane was always able to smile right until the last and his smile had a way of lighting up everyone around him no matter how much he was struggling or in pain.

“I hope this smile can still work its magic.”

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MacGowan had been diagnosed with encephalitis following his latest bout of ill health and after years of alcohol and substance abuse.

According to the New York Times, his wife said he died of pneumonia.

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Clarke has also said she supports a campaign for The Pogues’ most famous song, Fairytale Of New York, to make it to number one this Christmas.

Originally released in 1987 and previously peaking at number two, the band’s gritty festive song has never reached the top spot in the UK charts.

The announcement of MacGowan’s death was met with an outpouring of tributes, including from Bruce Springsteen, who said people would be “singing Shane’s songs 100 years from now”.

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