Victoria Mary Clarke has shared a heartfelt tribute to her late husband, Pogues legend Shane MacGowan, on the first anniversary of his passing. The iconic musician passed away peacefully at home on November 30 last year, aged 65, following a hospital stay and just weeks shy of his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.
Victoria has been posting videos and photos of joyful moments from Shane's life throughout the day, including a charming photo of the couple in their younger years, a clip from 'Crock of Gold', and footage of Bruce Springsteen meeting the icon. This week also marks what would have been the couple's fifth wedding anniversary, making it an emotional time for Victoria.
Speaking about the first anniversary of Shane's death, Victoria said "it has been extremely difficult" and praised Siobhan MacGowan for her support. "It has been extremely difficult," she told the Irish Sun.
Read more: Watch: Bruce Springsteen pays tribute to Shane MacGowan as he opens Irish gig
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"I'm not going to gloss over that. Shane's sister [Siobhan] has been unbelievably supportive. She texts me every single morning. And I talk to Shane's dad sometimes, too."
Victoria revealed that she sought counselling to help her through the grieving process, adding that the Samaritans have been "amazing". "The Samaritans are amazing. You would be howling and unable to function. It was that profound", reports the Irish Mirror.
Victoria has spoken out about the pain of losing her husband, Shane, but said she wouldn't trade their time together for anything. "People had warned me years ago that the more time you spend with somebody, the more time you spend grieving them. It's the price you are going to pay but you're not going to say, 'I won't fall in love because I might have to grieve'."
She took to Instagram to pay a heartfelt tribute to Shane, saying his soul will "live on for eternity".
Victoria wrote: "It's Shane MacGowan's anniversary tomorrow and I just wanted to say that I know that a lot of people will remember Shane for his music and his songs and his singing. And I know that there are lots of bands doing tribute gigs and playing his songs and they feel that his spirit lives on through the music."
"But I feel that Shane's heart and soul are the most important and beautiful thing to remember and his soul will live and love for eternity. It was always his enormous love for humanity that made him the person that he was as a human being."
"He had a way of seeing straight through the bullsh*t and the flattery and all of the elitist nonsense that sets people apart from each other. He respected everyone equally and he had a tenderness and compassion for the outcasts and the marginalised especially the homeless and those people struggling with addiction," she continued.
"He had the best laugh and the best sense of humour that I ever came across and he had no need to be better than anyone else. He loved unconditionally and he made me feel totally adored and cherished. He was a great believer in forgiveness and he was a firm believer in the unconditional love of the Divine and in the beauty of heaven."
"I am grateful that he made it through all of the suffering and he got to go home to his mother Therese and to the joy of his eternal soul. I pray for everyone who is grieving and I hope you can feel peace and harmony in this difficult time".
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