A Donegal man has revealed how he won a piece of artwork by the late Shane MacGowan – but had to remove a door from The Pogues star’s house to get it.
Declan Quinn, who is originally from St Johnston, is a well-known music promoter.
But back in 2008 he was a huge fan of MacGowan and his music.
Shane had donated a painting to raise money for Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Declan was delighted when he was told his was the winning bid.
Declan was put in touch with Shane’s wife Victoria to collect the painting and she invited the starstruck fan to the couple’s home to collect it.
But it was only on arrival that Declan learned the unique artwork was actually painted on Shane’s living room door.
Instead of getting a screwdriver, Declan and Shane chatted for hours and the couple even invited the Donegal man back to visit.
“They were so kind and we chatted for hours about different music genres. They made me feel so welcome in their home and even invited me back to visit.
St Johnston man Declan collects his ‘door art’ from Shane back in 2008.
“It took us quite a while before we even started trying to get the hinges off the door,” said Declan.
Shane revealed how this was his first attempt at art and had only done one other painting of ‘Mary with a Machine Gun’ which he refused to part with.
Declan, who now lives in Kildare with his wife and children and fronts LCM Promos, said he was deeply saddened by his hero’s passing last week at the age of 65.
The artwork is in storage in the UK but Declan says he hopes to bring it home to Ireland in the New Year to add to his collection of celebrity artwork.
But Declan readily admits that’s Shane seminal work is without doubt the most unusual.
He described Shane as one of Irelands greatest artistic legends, who will be spoken of hundreds of years from now, because of his worldly songwriting.
He added “I’ve always been a huge fan of Shane MacGowan. He was the voice of the diaspora when I lived in London in the early 1990s. I’ve met him many times when I lived in New York and saw him many times in concert. I’m a little heartbroken at his passing.
“I knew he wasn’t well but kinda figured since he lived this long in the face of adversity, he could live forever.
But Shane has left us a lifetime of great music, poetry and, as it happens, art.
“I’m very honoured to own a piece of his creativity, albeit a painted on a door, but that’s just something that only Shane MacGowan could do and get away with.”
