The Pogues are reissuing their Christmas classic, “Fairytale of New York,” on 7-inch vinyl to raise money for a charity supported by late singer Shane MacGowan.
All proceeds will go to Dublin Simon Community, an organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness. MacGowan frequently participated in the charity’s annual Christmas Eve Busk; his last public performance was for the 2021 Simon Busk, during which he performed “Dirty Old Town.”
The 7-inch single will feature “Fairytale of New York” on the A-side, with the instrumental of the song on the B-side. It costs roughly $12, with $7.50 from each sale going to Dublin Simon Community. Pre-orders are ongoing.
“We would like to say a huge thank you to The Pogues and Shane MacGowan’s family for their generosity in creating such a special legacy for Dublin Simon Community with this release,” Emma Kilkenny, Head of Fundraising & Communications at Dublin Simon Community, said in a statement. “Music is an emotional and visceral gift that can lift spirits and bring hope to people at their lowest point.”
Kilkenny continued, “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.”
MacGowan died on Thursday, November 30th at the age of 65 from what was later revealed to be complications from pneumonia and viral encephalitis. Read our very own Jonah Krueger’s essay on the legacy of “Fairytale of New York.”
During MacGowan’s funeral on Friday, December 8th, fans, friends, and collaborators alike came together to honor the Irish icon. Nick Cave performed an emotional rendition of “A Rainy Night in Soho,” while Glen Hansard teamed up with Lisa O’Neill for a rousing performance of “Fairytale of New York” and Spider Stacy led The Pogues in a performance of “The Parting Glass.”
Outside of the funeral, mourners took to the streets of Dublin to sing MacGowan’s songs. As a parting gift, the late singer left behind more than $12,000 to pay for the bar tab at his wake.
