The Pogues' Fairytale of New York to be released on 7-inch vinyl for charity

14 December 2023, 17:10 | Updated: 14 December 2023, 17:29

The iconic festive track will be rereleased as a 7-inch vinyl with part of the proceeds going to a good cause.

The Pogues are reissuing their Christmas classic Fairytale of New York on a seven-inch vinyl in the wake of Shane MacGowan’s passing.

The funeral for the punk poet took place last Friday (8th December), after he died on 30th November aged 65. Now the iconic track is going to be available to own on a new 7 inch vinyl.

£6 from the sale of each single, which is available to pre-order here, will go towards the Dublin Simon Community, a charity long supported by Shane MacGowan, which aims to prevent and end homelessness.

Fairytale Of New York will appear on the A-side of the record with an instrumental version of the single on the B-side.

The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York (Official Video)

Emma Kilkenny, the organisations head of fundraising and communications, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to The Pogues and Shane McGowan’s family for their generosity in creating such a special legacy for Dublin Simon Community with this release. Music is an emotional and visceral gift that can lift spirits and bring hope to people at their lowest point.

"We share the truly magical memory of Shane’s performance at the very special Christmas Busk recorded in St Patrick’s Cathedral during Covid lockdown. The Christmas Eve Busk is a beating heart at the core of Dublin Simon’s fundraising and Shane was always a very welcome and truly amazing addition to this special event."

Meanwhile, Shane MacGowan's wife Victoria Mary Clarke has set the record straight regarding the legends last wishes.

It was previously reported that the Irish musician left €10,000 behind the bar for his VIP wake as one of his last wishes.

However, taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Clarke wrote: "I just want to say that ⁦@ShaneMacGowan⁩ did NOT make a last request to leave 10 k behind the bar, his last request was for peace and love in the world. Although we are certain that he would have approved of the beautiful funeral!"

Chris has an amazing Shane MacGowan story

• Shane MacGowan's sister says Fairytale Of New York "captured what Christmas was like"