Portrait of Shane MacGowan by artist with proud Longford connections unveiled in Tipperary

A portrait commissioned by Shane McGowan’s family is now hanging in his favourite pub in Tipperary.

Hand-painted with acrylic by Will McNally, who has proud Longford connections, the portrait of the late Pogues frontman was presented to his sister, Siobhan, in Nenagh.

A gathering took place in Philly Ryan’s pub in Nenagh where the family was presented with the portrait. The event saw musicians tackling some of The Pogues’ songs in the pub, which Shane visited frequently. 

“A great honour to paint the late great Shane MacGowan, unveiled to his sister Siobhan MacGowan, Philly Ryan and Shane’s close friends. Was a special moment. It was only right to have this hung in his favourite pub in Ireland,” commented Will.

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“Special thank you to the gentleman Philly Ryan for the warmth and generosity on our stay. Thanks to all my Irish family and friends who travelled all the way. Grateful,” he added. 

Will McNally is a London-based artist and he is a grandson of the late Tommy Joe McNally, who hailed from St Bridget's Terrace in Longford Town and his mum is Tommy Joe's youngest daughter Sandra.

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The black and white portrait, which took about 100 hours to paint, captures a young Shane MacGowan, smoking while having a drink - on which music notes are painted in the shape of smoke. 

Some of Will Mcnally’s Famous Commissioned Art Pieces:

• Artwork created for Warner Brothers' Mortal Kombat film

• Playboy collaborated with Will for a Female Empowerment project, now displayed in a prestigious gallery.

• Bespoke creation for DECA Records & Universal Music Group

• Unique artwork crafted for the widow of Luciano Pavarotti, utilizing the tenor's original master vinyl

• Series of artworks commissioned by the President of EMI records

• Will has also printed for a number of high end celebrities, from American royalty Akon, to legendary status Bugsy Malone