Mourners lined the streets of Dublin to bid an emotional farewell to Shane MacGowan at a public parade ahead of his funeral.
The songwriter, who rose to fame as the lead singer of London-Irish punk/folk band The Pogues, died last week at the age of 65.
His funeral will take place in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, later on Friday.
The procession proceeded from South Lotts Road on the south side of Dublin towards Pearse Street and Westland Row; Everywhere hundreds of people lined the streets and followed the cortege.
MacGowan’s body was carried in a glass horse-drawn carriage, whose coffin was decorated with the Irish tricolor flag and a black-and-white photo of the singer from his youth.
MacGowan’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, traveled in a carriage behind the cortege led by the Artane Band.
As the funeral procession passed Sweny’s pharmacy in central Dublin, which featured in James Joyce’s Ulysses, people threw flowers and musicians played A Pair Of Brown Eyes and Fairytale Of New York.
Among those who came to pay their respects was Aidan Grimes, 60, who described MacGowan as an icon.
He said: “I remember the first time I saw The Pogues at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1985. Just the madness and mayhem, the boisterous nature of their singing and the music they played are forever etched in my mind.
“Over the years he developed into a great poet and will be sadly missed.
“I met him in Dublin about 15 years ago and he was a very charming, nice and friendly man. He talked about music and his time in London.
“I thought it was important to pay my respects. He was an icon of Dublin, just like Brendan Behan and Luke Kelly. “His music will be listened to 100 years later,” he said.
Josie Feeney, from Co Leitrim, traveled to Dublin to pay her respects.
He said: “My father’s family was from Tipperary and my grandmother was from Nenagh.
“We don’t always know the full lyrics but this week we know more of Shane’s lyrics, they’re really moving, they’re like poetry. He was a genius.
“His legacy will live on forever. Bruce Springsteen said that in 100 years we will be singing the lyrics of his songs.”
Kevin Sexton, from Co Fermanagh, said MacGowan had opened doors for Irish people living in England.
“He made Irish people proud to be Irish at a time when it was very difficult to be Irish in London.
“The problems were continuing at full speed. Many terrible things happened.
“Shane MacGowan opened the doors. He introduced Irish culture and his own unique writing talent, voice and style that paved the way for a blend of Irish music plus rock plus punk; all of his unique personality turned into a song that lights up the world.
Darragh McColgan from Dublin said MacGowan was a genius.
He added: “For me it was all about the culture, the energy of it, which to me represented what it meant to be Irish.
“There will be a day that we know will come, but it will not be easy to deal with because of the huge impact it has had.”
Ms Clarke thanked the Irish police force for helping manage the crowds of fans in Dublin.
He wrote on Twitter: “Thank you so much @GardaTraffic for your help today and accompanying @ShaneMacGowan.”
The funeral is being held to coincide with what would have been Sinead O’Connor’s 57th birthday. The Irish singer, who was close friends with MacGowan, died earlier this year.
MacGowan’s live-streamed public funeral will take place at St Mary’s of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, at 3.30pm.
Irish President Michael D Higgins is expected to attend, along with well-known faces from the music world.
Fr Pat Gilbert told RTE the funeral service would celebrate MacGowan’s spiritual side.
He said: “This is a side of him that is unknown but one that we should celebrate. This was an aspect that was important to him in the context of the course of his life.
“We will have a welcoming ceremony, a mass, and a final accommodation ceremony interspersed with pieces of his music that will be performed by some of his friends.
“I think this is the right thing to do; This is the way to celebrate people, faith, music and words.
“This is the way to celebrate and remember the husband, the brother, the son and the brother-in-law.”
Following the funeral service, members of the public will also have the opportunity to pay their respects as the funeral cortege progresses from Nenagh town center down Church Road towards Market Cross.
A private cremation will follow.
MacGowan was born to Irish parents in Pembury, Kent, in 1957 and soon moved to rural Tipperary, where he became immersed in the culture of ceiling bands and performing groups.
According to the statement made by his relatives, the lead singer of the Pogues, known for the popular festival song Fairytale Of New York, died “peacefully” at 3 am on November 30, surrounded by his wife and family.
He would have celebrated his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.