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‘It meant so much to him’: Shane MacGowan’s wife on the hunt for his missing Easter Rising rifle


A widespread search has been sparked after Victoria Mary Clarke noticed a rifle owned by the late Pogues frontman was gone. She explains why this piece of history was one of the few possessions he cherished

MacGowan’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke is not happy and she wants it back now, sparking a widespread search after tweeting: “Shane’s 1916 rifle has gone missing, most likely been stolen.” It’s a rifle from the 1916 Easter Rising, and was probably used in the takeover of the General Post Office (GPO) by armed groups of the Irish Volunteers and the Citizen Army, commanded by Padraig Pearse and James Connolly. Photograph: Ellius Grace/The GuardianShe sends me a photo of MacGowan in his famous green chair looking straight ahead, crucifix gleaming against his black top, rifle in hand ready to shoot.

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