Talk:Shane MacGowan/Archive 1

Archive 1

Photo

How about a photo? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2toise (talk • contribs) 20:57, 10 November 2003 (UTC)

Personal Life

What happened between him and Victoria, anyway? --JerryLewisOverdrive 23:15, 19 March 2006 (UTC)

He still hangs out with Victoria, including the Pirates of the Caribbean premiere, starrring his mate Johnny Depp, in Leicester Square. - added 19/07/06

Seems odd that he was born when his parents were visiting relatives in England, especially when they worked there. Bill Tegner 13:30, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

Seems odder still that his place of birth has suddenly become Co Tipperary. Has he been talking to Peter O'Toole? Note that the Internet Movie Database still says he was born in Kent. Doubtless someone will check official records soon. I won't.Bill Tegner 18:52, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

"songs of astonishing beauty"

I believe you, but could you list a few examples here maybe, on the talk page? Njál 01:04, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

I also agree with you, but it is essentially POV, isn't it? Essexmutant 10:09, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

How about "songs that have been considered by many to be astonishingly beautful, such as...example, example."

BBC's "This Week" interview

Does anyone know what year the BBC interview w/ Jane Street-Porter that's referenced in the Health section took place? Would like to see that info added.

Looks like June 2006, I'd like to find a better cite for it (and most of the rest of that section) so that it can be reintroduced to the article. Artw 00:30, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Health & Teeth

This is a poor article and requires some cleanup the balance between the salacious stuff about his health & teeth is out of kilter with the section on his music and songwriting which should be what this article is about. Its and encylopedia entry not a gossip column. To that end I've added a POV check - --Gramscis cousin 12:20, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

i was actually curious to read about his teeth, me mum would pull out a picture of his everytime i said i would not brush.

The photograph included under this heading depicts Shane with a mouth full cigarrette butts. This one should be removed, and another should replace it to accurately depict his poor dental state.

Yes but I am talking about balance here. The guy is one of the most significant songwriters of his generation (he has written what is consistently voted as the most popular Christmas song of all time - Fairytale of New York - not even mentioned here) and we're talking about his teeth!! What next - Einstein's Haircut or Benjamin Franklin's baldness. Gramscis cousin 16:20, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, but it is important to remember what the name "Shane MacGowan" means to many people. "The man with the teeth!"

I agree, to a certain extent.

Overemphasis on one part of his career, or one aspect of his life, could make this article a bit offkilter.

That being said, I still think there should be a significant section devoted to his declining health, and the corresponding decline in his career, especially after he and The Pogues parted ways.

Ruthfulbarbarity 23:36, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

"Many people" also see Einstein as the guy with the fuzzy hair does that mean we should have a lengthy section taking up nearly one third of the article in the Einstein section on his hair.

I agree that there should be a section on MacGowan's health & teeth but the current section is disproportionably long and salacious in style. Have a look at the webistes on other prominent drunkards such as Brendan Behan (a small paragraph) or Truman Capote (spread into other sections).

The Behan approach is I think the most appropraite in this case.

-- Gramscis cousin 08:09, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

The length of the section should be governed by the amount of information to be included. If there is a lot of information on McGowan's health and teeth, the section should be long enough to include it. The section shouldn't be cut down just to make the rest of the article look longer in comparison. If there is more information to be included in the main article - include it! Shinji nishizono 15:50, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

The point is that the info in this section of the article is salacious gossip of the worst sort of tabloidese. It is irrelevant and disproportionate in a discussion of the life and career of a highly regarded songwriter. As I've said before compare it to how the Brendan Behan article deals with similar issues. I could fill that one up with similar anecdotal gossip but it would be inappropriate. --Gramscis cousin 13:01, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

My own opinion would be that McGowan is almost as famous for his drunken presentation and substance abuse as for his music. His songwriting ability should certainly be the main focus of the article (and as someone who clearly knows a lot about him, you should make additions as you see fit) but it is of interest to the public to chronicle the state of his health too. He recently appeared with Spider Stacy on a BBC2 TV documentary about folk music and was practically incoherent. People who saw that show are likely to look to an article like this to find out why he was in such a bad state. Many musicians have drink problems, but few take self-destruction to such an extreme as McGowan, and the article should reflect that. Shinji nishizono 14:39, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I fully agree with Gramscis cousin. McGowan's teeth are, at least to me, the least important of his qualities. The tone of the article is already compromised by weasel words and the extensive dental talk doesn't contribute much. Unsourced statements can be deleted; the rest can be added to the body of the Health section in a single line with inline citations. I'll go ahead and do that in a few days if nobody objects.Lowerarchy 06:12, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

The article on George Washington includes a section on his teeth and the article on William Howard Taft discusses his weight. Wikipedia should not whitewash its subjects by ignoring ill health and hygeine. --Tysto 06:38, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

The article should mention Shane's teeth and substance abuse. I fully agree that these should not overshadow the music, but many people (me included) are going to be coming to this article to find out about his health and teeth. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.224.71.191 (talk) 13:23, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

While MacGowan's drink and drugs consumption is often emphasized it is not surprising. Much of his writing concerns drink, his sacking from the Pogues was due to drink and he has made a number of comments about the links between his ideas of Irishness and alcohol. For crying out loud... even his book is "A Drink with Shane MacGowan". Concerning the teeth, while it isn't as relevant it is worth recalling that one record cover issued in US actually had teeth airbrushed into the picture as the American distributors were worried about how the buyers might be turned off by his dental disarray. (83.13.39.98 (talk) 19:02, 1 January 2008 (UTC))

I remember having read that MacGowan lost his front teeth whilst trying to eat a Beach Boys album. That is not mentioned in the article. Is it verifiable or just an urban legend? Bluewave (talk) 11:23, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

It's true. He talks about it in his A Drink With Shane MacGowan book. He was apparently high on something or other and it seemed like a good idea to him at the time. I don't have the book handy - but it's definitely in there, for anyone who wants to find a pageref. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 13:18, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

I recall him mentioning in an interview (Jack someone, Scots guy who used to do a show late night on channel 4)the eating of a Beach Boys album infront of an Irish ambassador as a protest against American politics (83.9.73.5 (talk) 08:00, 9 April 2009 (UTC))

The Nips

There is no mention here of Shane's first band "The Nips" who were a moderately successful punk band. Gramscis cousin 15:43, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

Hmmmm. There did used to be - I added it myself last year. I'll sort it. --Kurt Shaped Box 18:43, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

Education and Background

Presumably Shane MacGowan comes from a well-heeled background. His parents must have been able to afford to send him to an expensive private preparatory school and Westmister School after that. Since neither of these is in north London, it seems odd, too, that he "acquired a North London accent". It's also interesting that neither of the schools he attended are Roman Catholic. Is he from a Protestant background? 86.46.75.230 (talk) 07:51, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Not especially. In 'A Drink With..' he says his father was a manager (at C&A, i think) and largely lower-middle-class, while his mother was a model/singer/dancer from farming stock. In regards to schooling, he got a scholarship at Westminster. He is also pretty clear in the book that both sides of his family are Catholic (even being told by his grandmother that all Protestants were yellow!). 86.29.225.173 (talk) 17:21, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Mockney?

Does the fact that he acquired "a north London accent" in spite of a) being "Irish" and b) coming from an affluent English town and being educated at expensive private schools, qualify him for the label "Mockney"? Ausseagull (talk) 20:32, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Quotes

Menken@xs4all.nl Quotes should only feature legitimate quotes by or about the subject that add to our knowledge of the subject --Gramscis cousin 21:07, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Plastic Paddy?

Does this guy's English birth, education and accent qualify him for the above category? Bill Tegner 12:52, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

He was born to two Irish parents and has an Irish passport, so yes, no connection to Ireland whatsoever... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.20.197.73 (talk) 02:50, 17 January 2019 (UTC)

Hes part of the diaspora man --Rcseng2005 11:10, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

What does the above mean (in grammatical English)? Millbanks 09:11, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

"Hes" is presumably "he's" without the apostrophe (always a problem for the poorly educated). "Diaspora man" could be something like Essex Man or Neanderthal Man, though the structure of the sentence, even without a comma, indicates that in this context it is being used as a form of address. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.104.71.161 (talk) 08:08, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

Go raibh míle maith agat, deartháir. Sláinte. Liam Bill Tegner 08:41, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Say that in English so I can understand you

Chan eil casan againn.Tha briogais aige.--90.194.186.53 18:01, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Is it weird that I think he sounds more Irish than English? Especially when he's singing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.45.112.180 (talk) 21:55, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

If you read 'A drink with Shane MacGowan you will lean that he was born in England, was raised in Ireland until age seven, he then lived in england until leaving school at fourteen. at this point he returned to Tipperary, Ireland. He has divided his time between London and Ireland ever since, although has lived in Dublin the last 10 years or so. Given that he has lived in Ireland for considerable time, has irish parents its perfectly understandable for him to be classed as Irish.

Richard Balls, his official biographer, confirms that Shane never resided in Ireland as a child. He visited relatives there for holidays. See and listen to Richard Balls saying it here on youtube at 5'30. Burraron (talk) 22:12, 22 October 2021 (UTC)

Funny. The article says that he speaks with a north London accent. So yes, it is weird that you think that. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.158.166.126 (talk) 22:11, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

The man was born in London. Worked in London. And had a London accent. He is a Cockney, not an Irishman! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.197.15.138 (talk) 06:01, 6 May 2012 (UTC)

CItes needed so that sections removed by WP:BLP can be restored

The Health and body abuse section of the site, present in this version of the article, has been removed to meet WP:BLP. Looks like it's all esentially correct, though it's going to take some digging to find cites to back it up.

If you;re not too familiar with the citing processs just put the URLs here and I'll drop them in.

I've already made a stard finding cites for other deleted sections, except for a bit about naked pictures which dosn't really seem like it needs to go back in. Artw 00:35, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Actually I have an URL for the naked thing. Looks like this blog might be a good source for cites for some of the other cites as well - though sources other than the blog would be preferable (even if it is by the man himself and publish by The Guardian. Artw 00:48, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Infobox

I feel Shane is an important enough figure in contemperary music to warrant an infobox. Am I alone in this desire? Bogart1047 00:59, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

Alcohol and substance abuse

I have to say, I'm a bit surprised that an article about Shane MacGowan hasn't mentioned his problems with alcohol and substance abuse. Leaving aside the debate about his teeth above, surely these factors of his life are well-documented and significant enough to be worthy of mention?--203.87.117.133 (talk) 12:15, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

Agreed AJKGORDON«» 12:29, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

Nothing on his teeth, nothing on his drug abuse. The two most fascinating things about him. Pathetic. Politically Correct brigade have been through this article. Reaper7 (talk) 21:27, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

covered works of Shane MacGowan

Is it possible to include a list of works covered by other artists? For example, Christy Moore has covered "A Pair of Brown Eyes" ('Unfinished Revolution' album, I believe)"Fairytale of New York" and "Aisling" ('Smoke and Strog Whiskey') and I believe Tommy Makem recorded "Broad Majestic Shannon".(83.13.39.98 (talk) 19:08, 1 January 2008 (UTC))

Alcohol .. How I laughed!

Nothing about Booze. What a joke this article is. Mmmm. Let's pretend booze has had no influence on his output or career. PC brigade again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.234.250.71 (talk) 13:09, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

You know, his alcoholism really isn't so dire. People make way too much of a big deal of it. He drinks at concerts and on weekends and before he has to face publicity, but he's not finishing off three bottles of Jack every day. That doesn't make him an alcoholic, as anyone who has lived with alcoholics could tell you.--Bogart1047 (talk) 05:34, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

Not being able to face an important situation (interviews) while sober, and neglecting your health as a result of drinking, sound like alcoholism to me. Quantity of consumption is only one measure--MartinUK (talk) 00:14, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Missing contributions

Shouldn't he be listed as contributing to the Dubliners Milestones album from 1995? I could swear I hear his voice on Whiskey in a Jar. Was it just that the song was published on both albums? http://www.shanemacgowan.com/related.shtml Ryandsmith (talk) 22:55, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Shane MacGowan, the song

So, swedish artist Hästpojken has made a (rather popular) song about Shane, entitled "Shane MacGowan". Lyrics can be found here: http://artists.letssingit.com/hastpojken-lyrics-shane-macgowan-fklvwqf Andrimner (talk) 20:53, 19 June 2008 (UTC)

Daily Mirror

In the first para of the self desructive behaviour section it states his interview is with the London Daily Mirror. Is there such a paper? Surely its just Daily Mirror? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.121.151.142 (talk) 16:31, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Background and Religion

Presumably Mr MacGowan must have come from a well off background, since his parents sent him to an expensive private preparatory school and to Westminster School after that. Also it's odd that he "acquired a North London accent", since neither school is in north London. In addition, neither school is Roman Catholic, so do we take it that Shane MacGowan is from a Protestant background? Millbanks (talk) 08:01, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

citation source of teeth being airbrushed in

Ann Scanlon's book "The Lost Decade" (a history of the early Pogues) contains the story about the teeth being airbrushed in (I believe on the cover of Poguetry in Motion). There was an online link but it is now dead. (83.9.73.5 (talk) 07:56, 9 April 2009 (UTC))

Whilst in Ireland, he became completely immersed in the traditional music of Irish culture

By the age of six? Stutley (talk) 14:29, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

I've deleted that bit as unecyclopedic. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.118.65.162 (talk) 21:16, 23 June 2011 (UTC)

New Photo

Would anyone be opposed to replacing the current pic with a more up to date one of Shane (with new teeth)? 142.104.35.183 (talk) 19:19, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

Stale templates?

Do we still need the "lede too short" and "BLP sources" templates at the top of this page? They're pretty old and I'm not particularly seeing those issues on this page. Artw (talk) 18:51, 21 December 2014 (UTC)

I went ahead and removed them. Artw (talk) 03:55, 23 December 2014 (UTC)

Roman Catholics Category.

He talks about his beliefs all the time, openly wears crosses during his performances, and explores religious themes with tie into his cultural background and personal history with Catholicism. It is a huge, glaring, and obvious influence on his public work. Why is he therefore not included in the category? It's not like he just said "I was raised Catholic" or "I go to church" once or twice.Lynchenberg (talk) 23:17, 3 May 2021 (UTC)

Because, as per the category description, WP:CAT/R and WP:BLPCAT, his notability on no way derives from his religion. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 16:34, 4 May 2021 (UTC)

Holidayed in Ireland as child

Richard Balls, his official biographer, confirms that Shane never resided in Ireland as a child. He visited relatives there for holidays. See and listen to Richard Balls saying it here on here on youtube at 5'30. Burraron (talk) 21:46, 10 October 2021 (UTC)

That is correct. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:5170:92E9:652F:4337 (talk) 18:29, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

Shane MacGowan: "I'm Irish!"

A quick google produces at least two references. 1) interview with Joan Anderman,'Survivors' in The Boston Globe (5 March 2006) here and 2) quote from 'Wildman MacGowan Ties The Knot' article on Sky (4 April 2007) here. 'Anglo-Irish' sounds particularly silly when applied to MacGowan given its perceived colonial connotations. His self-identification should be what matters as far as this article is concerned. 86.42.19.155 (talk) 11:09, 10 October 2010 (UTC)

It means he wants to be thought of as Irish, though he was born and educated in England and speaks with a London accent. 12.177.224.197 (talk) 21:44, 23 June 2011 (UTC)

Self Identification? so can I self identify as black? Fact is the basis of an encyclopedia not beliefs. He's English, and the article should reflect, as for perceived colonial connotations what are you on about Ireland was never a colony, in fact it was Irishmen who large drove the creation of the British Empire. What matters are the facts, he is english, and it is offensive to geniune Irish people to state otherwise. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.43.156.186 (talk) 21:28, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

If both of your parents were black, you could self identify as black. Both of MacGowan's parents were Irish, thus he is ethnically Irish. He was only born in England because his parents were on Christmas vacation. Saying he's not Irish is like saying Tom Clarke and James Connolly weren't Irish because they weren't born in Ireland. Describing him as Irish with the word Irish linked to the article Irish people is an accurate description since he's ethnically Irish despite his place of birth and citizenship and the Irish people article is about the Irish as an ethnic group. --John of Lancaster (talk) 00:52, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

Yes you could self identify as black because you would be manifestly black by any measure. The same does not apply to Irishness. No-one would be even attempting to claim he was Irish if he hadn't been self-identifying as so. But self-identification is not the be all and end all. He was not just born in England but spent the vast majority of his childhood there, and he's hardly likely to remember much before age 6. Anyway, we should only use facts, and in that respect you have hit the nail on the head. The term to put in the article is that he is ethnically Irish, as you rightly say. Problem solved. 85.158.45.40 (talk) 00:30, 5 February 2012 (UTC)

John of Lancaster, you seem to be trying to start an edit war. Please read WP:CON policy and use the Talk page to discuss changes. Self-identification really is not the be-all and end-all you claim (unless it is qualified as self-identified). Here is an Irish Times published source , based on an academic publication (Irish Blood, English Heart: Second-Generation Irish Musicians in England , by Sean Campbell, published by Cork University Press). This makes it a good quality source by Wikipedia criteria for reliable sources. It has two members of the Pogues identifying the entire group as "London-Irish". But Shane Macgowan talking about Shane Macgowan as a factual source fails the test for being an WP:IS defined independent source. He clearly has a "significant connection to the subject", for example it can be argued he makes money off the back of a reputation as "Irish". Now personally I wouldn't go as far as changing the article to term him London-Irish, however justifiable, however terming him ethnically Irish or second-generation Irish is an unassailable factual statement. As I said, please use the Talk pages before any further reversions. Multiply repeated unilateral reversions are not the way to achieve consensus. 85.158.45.40 (talk) 02:24, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

I'm not trying to start anything and I don't care much for the accusation. Just so you know, Wikipedia doesn't go by "facts", it goes by reliable sources per WP:V. It is not up to you to decide what's a "fact" and what isn't. You don't seem to see that I have provided this source, which describes him as an "Irish writer, musician and founder member of both The Pogues and The Popes". You changed "Irish" to "ethnically Irish", which is not what the source says (that's called original research, FYI), which is why I reverted your edit. It had nothing to do with the fact that he self-identifies as Irish. Also, when did I ever claim that self-identification was the "be-all and end-all"? Did you even read my previous post? I never made the argument that he self-identifies as Irish. If you're going to accuse me of edit warring, you can at least know what you're talking about. Besides, "ethnically Irish" is redundant because the word "Irish" is linked to the article Irish people, which is about the Irish ethnic group. You appear to be the one who's edit warring. I provided a source and you're still tampering with the lead sentence to make it say something that the source doesn't. I was right to revert yor edit. I'm not edit warring, I'm simply following WP:V and you should really assume good faith. --John of Lancaster (talk) 22:24, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Worth noting that Shane did not self-identify as Irish during the heyday of the Pogues, as can be seen in films, and print interviews. In one filmed interview conducted in a north london pub, he corrects the interviewer who calls him Irish, saying I'm London Irish. This was his standard line. His transition to being Irish, in his own mind, occurred during the 1990s. He also had a British Passport during the 1980s as revealed by his colleagues in one of the biogs, by either Clerk or Fearnley, making him then, a British citizen. He's Irish to my mind, but part of the diaspora, and England has left its stamp upon him, afterall he lived there more than 40 years, born and largely bred.

Nationality

Is there any basis for describing MacGowan himself as Irish? He was born and raised in the UK.WebHorizon (talk) 17:36, 19 August 2011 (UTC)WebH

If Shane has always considered himself as an Irishman and never has been quoted as being "English" , I think there;s no point in describing him as of English nationality . In his book "A drink with Shane MacGowan" he makes it perfectly clear and more than once , that he is Irish . We can get into all sorts of technicalities but there's no doubt he's Irish . — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.212.50.49 (talk) 05:02, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

You mean technicalities like him not actually being Irish? can I say I'm black because at some point my ancestors in africa were? at best he's british of irish decent like a quarter of the population of the Isle of Great Britain, at worst he's a another plastic paddy wannabe, the article should reflect his actually nationality not what he wishes to be, or it is just offensive to people who are geniunely of that nationality and thus promoted a POV that doesn't reflect the facts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.43.156.186 (talk) 19:25, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

What a perfect example of a British bigot --- note the IP address is out of Sutton, England --- claiming the authority to decide who is "genuinely" Irish.

Shane MacGowan was born in Britain, of Irish-citizen parents. Under Irish nationality law this gives him Irish citizenship. He spent a considerable amount of his life in Ireland, and self-identifies as Irish. He is Irish --- ACCORDING TO THE NATIONALITY LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND --- and that trumps your parochial bigotry.

According to your brilliant explanation , Henry Kissinger is not a US citizen nor Adolf Hitler was German , since they were born somewhere else . If a person is born in China but decides to become an English or French national , that's his or her will and it has to be respected . Shane was born in England to Irish parents , was initially raised in Tipperary (he considers this the most important period of his life) , defines himself as Irish , but apparently it is still not enough to consider him an Irishman . But you don't have to believe me , instead have some money well spent by buying the book "A drink with Shane MacGowan" - if after reading it you still consider Shane as English or "Anglo-Irish" then I won't insist . In the meantime , here are a few citations from the book - for free :

He wasn't raised in Tipperary. He had some extended family holidays there as a child, but never resided in Ireland as a child. See and listen to Richard Balls saying it here on youtube at 5'30. Burraron (talk) 15:47, 13 March 2022 (UTC)

(on his uncle Tom) : "Very fond of him . He was a great Irishman . There were an awful lot of incredible men in this house . Not to mention incredible women . It's not for nothing I hold the English in such contempt . They just don't measure up to those people."

" I have made some English friends , I'm not saying there aren't any good English people , just that I didn't have a very good experience with them , growing up. And I didn't like the country."

His biographer says that Shane suffered bullying at school because he looked different. That might have strengthened his feeling towards Ireland. See link above Burraron (talk) 15:47, 13 March 2022 (UTC)

"We got on with them , the clued-in London Irish ones , who didn't think they were English . The ones who thought they were English hated us . The ones who regarded themselves as Irish got on with us . "

"The Pogues would never had existed if I wasn't Irish. Ireland means everything to me ."

His official biographer thinks he is sentimental about Ireland the way those raised outside Ireland often are. See link above. Burraron (talk) 15:47, 13 March 2022 (UTC)

"But what a talented race. I'm proud to be one of them . Great sportsmen , great soldiers , great musicians , great lovers , great artists . Nobody loves like an Irishman." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.212.54.111 (talk) 03:40, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

All the above manages to prove is that his nationality is a matter of debate. Wikipedia must stick to the facts and be impartial. It's not a place for opinions. If he self-identifies as Irish then that is what should be in the article, not debatable opinions about whether he is definitively Irish or definitively English. There are arguments on both sides and NPOV guidance is that Wikipedia is not a forum for making pronouncements one way or the other. He is clearly of Irish descent at least, and identifying him as that should retain the spirit of the statement. 85.158.45.40 (talk) 21:33, 12 November 2011 (UTC)

Yeah sorry but your silly nationalist pride based on false assumptions and ill-feeling towards another ethnicity is not relevant here. The guy is probably an Irish citizen and identifies as such. He's famous in the UK and Ireland for being Irish too --Nutthida (talk) 14:04, 21 December 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not deal in "probably". That's the weakest argument to use on Wikipedia. I don't know why you think I'm nationalist - what nationality do you think I am, and where's the ill-feeling against any ethnicity? My whole point is to stick to the facts, not opinion. I know for a fact in the deepest darkest recesses of my ancestry at least one of my ancestors was French. Am I French? Can I self-identify as French? Therefore can you take my own opinion of my myself as fact? Of course not. 85.158.45.40 (talk) 00:19, 5 February 2012 (UTC)

No, you are not French. You do not self-identify as French, whereas MacGowan self-identifies as Irish. Your parents do not appear to possess French citizenship, which would give French citizenship to their children under French law, whereas MacGowan's parents were both citizens of the Republic of Ireland and under Irish law so are their children no matter where born. In short, you expect the rest of the world to bow to your British opinion on this matter, no matter the facts.

Absurdity of "Anglo-Irish" description

Anglo-Irish has a specific meaning: a member of the privilieged Protestant Ascendancy class in Ireland, Protestant and of largely English descent. This meaning has been in common use since the 1800s at least. Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, WB Yeats are "Anglo-Irish." Shane MacGowan is not.

Shane MacGowan does not fit any of these criteria: he is of ethnically "native" Irish descent, his upbringing was far from privileged, he is not a Protestant (nor were his ancestors), and he actively self-identifies as Irish and expresses support for Irish Republicanism, not the Union with Britain nor the British Crown.

MacGowan arguably can be described as "British-Irish" --- he was born in Britain and has resided there for long periods of time --- but he is in no manner "Anglo-Irish." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.127.183.4 (talk) 02:32, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

This is similar to the Francis Bacon Born in Ireland, (to Australian born father and British born (I think) mother). It seems consensus points to him being described as British, (at least the arguement is), based purely on identity and influence not on birth place. You can't have Shane and Bacon at the same time! Wmcnamara (talk) 09:50, 8 September 2017 (UTC)

@Wmcnamara: that Francis was born in England, Francis Bacon (artist) is the Irish born one. Having said that Bacon was born in Ireland when it was part of the United Kingdom so he was born a British citizen. Mabuska ^(talk) 21:10, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

User:GhostOfNoMeme Please see here for a better description as to why 'Anglo-Irish' may not be appropriate. Also some interesting quotes from Shane talking about his Irishness.Glaaaastonbury88 (talk) 18:35, 3 August 2020 (UTC)

He is not Irish. He is British and has benefitted from being British to a greater extent than most British people get the chance at. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A00:23C7:B707:2501:A90A:6168:1A66:5BD9 (talk) 10:38, 6 December 2022 (UTC)

What does the notion of 'benefit' have to do with determining nationality? Knot Lad (talk) 12:47, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 December 2023

Change “Jason Kelce” to “Travis Kelce” 72.92.252.26 (talk) 10:19, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Appears to have been done. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 10:42, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Died at home?

The Irish Independent here says : "He was discharged from hospital on November 22 and returned home to spend quality time with his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke. ... 'Shane died peacefully at 3am this morning (30 November, 2023) with his wife Victoria and family by his side...'" RTE says something similar here. I can't see what The New York Times says, as it requires a subscription and there's no quote in the ref. What does it say and which is correct? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:56, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

He was discharged from hospital on the 22nd, I think - I recall adding that to the article. The Indo and RTÉ references should be sufficient to cite that he died at home? Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 17:51, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

That was my take on it. I had added (to the main body) that he died at home with his wife. I'm not sure why the NYT would have found more accurate info than the Irish Independent and RTE, but still intrigued to see their exact wording. Could find no other source that said categorically that he died in hospital. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:01, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Yeah, they have Mr. MacGowan’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, said he died of pneumonia in a hospital. which seems a) vague, and b) is contradicted by what the national broadcaster and largest selling newspaper in the state say. I'd go with them, rather than the NYT, on this one. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 18:19, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

The NYT article has been updated since the first edition, which merely mentioned her announcing it on IG. That's been walked back; the latest version now specifically says Mr. MacGowan’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, said the cause was pneumonia but did not say where he died. A journo who reads these talk pages, who would have thought it. ——Serial 18:24, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Many thanks for clarifying, Serial. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:28, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

@Serial Number 54129: Want to quickly jump in and say that I have restored the NYT link to the article because it's the only source out of the four that says he died from pneumonia, which the article otherwise says without a citation. Also, I checked the NYT obit and it does currently seem to once again say that he died at a hospital.

Additionally, to @Martinevans123's question about why the NYT might have cited that sentence the way they did or claimed that knowledge, the reason I didn't dismiss the report out of hand, when balanced with the other and more local sources, is because the paper's stated procedure is to get direct confirmation from the surviving relative they cite on that line in the obit. When they say "MacGowan's wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, said he died of pneumonia in a hospital", it should mean that they specifically spoke to Clarke and she told them this directly, if they are following their own procedures as they've publicly explained them here: "We will not publish an obituary until we can confirm the death. Someone reliable has to tell us so-and-so is dead — a family member, a family spokesperson, a hospital official, a business partner, someone. In cases where we can't obtain confirmation independently for whatever reason, we'll rely on the reporting of a reputable news agency like The Associated Press. But we don't like to do that."

In other words, if they were just pulling from a press release or another report they would have instead said so. But I'm now seeing the balance of sources do not support or even repeat this claim. So it's impossible to confirm what happened here; they may have spoken to her but there could have been a miscommunication, for example. I do think it's right to note that the last we heard was that he was discharged and there was no subsequent word that he was re-admitted to any hospital. I have not restored their claim about a location of death back in the article. Sunshineisles2 (talk) 20:25, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Thanks for explaining. I almost cancelled my NYT subscription for a minute there.... Martinevans123 (talk) 23:27, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

@Martinevans123: Can't help but read that comment in a certain tone... :)

Anyway, I just figured that as the person who made the edit that seemed to cause a bit of a commotion over here, I should explain why I made the edit and what my thought process was. It probably didn't need the dissertation I ended up giving it, but I did want to make the case that my brain wasn't totally short-circuiting. Sunshineisles2 (talk) 23:36, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

I appreciate you going to the trouble to do that. Yours was a perfectly reasonable addition. Errrrrm, yes, you got the tone, lol. Thanks again. Martinevans123 (talk) 23:41, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Absolutely, a good addition. Incidentally, Victoria Clarke is being interviewed right now on the Brendan O'Connor radio programme. I've missed the start, unfortunately. I'll post a link to the podcast of it when it's up later. She was talking about his death when I switched on, so should serve to clarify things and may be useful as a reference for other material. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 11:43, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

Today's Brendan O'Connor Show interview with Victoria Mary Clarke is available here. Just listening back to the start of the interview now. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 21:59, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

Why is he described as Irish?

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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He is English. 2A00:23C5:C410:5601:DC62:5E2F:24BB:17F1 (talk) 17:46, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

Because he's Irish? Being born somewhere does not (necessarily) make you from somewhere. David Norris (politician) is Irish, but he was born in the Congo. The Duke of Wellingon (1st) was born in Dublin, but was most certainly not Irish, and C.S. Lewis was born in Ireland but is always described as British. McGowan was a) born to Irish parents, and b) identifies as Irish - see the several talk page sections above which discuss this. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 18:33, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

MacGowan is as English as I am. During the 1980s when he was famous he always described himself as "London Irish" instead of Irish. The Duke of Wellington was certainly Irish, unlike MacGowan who only affected to be Irish from the 1990s onwards. (2A00:23C5:C410:5601:DC62:5E2F:24BB:17F1 (talk) 19:00, 7 December 2022 (UTC))

Well in terms of nationality yes but you have also forgetten that being Irish is not just a nationality, it’s also biological, so therefore he’s technically both English and Irish My cat 41 (talk) 20:16, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

He was both English and Irish as he was born within the Irish diaspora. My cat 41 (talk) 20:17, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

It would be more accurate to describe him as British-Irish, like his sister's article. (2A00:23C5:C410:5601:DC62:5E2F:24BB:17F1 (talk) 20:53, 7 December 2022 (UTC))

Please produce a reference saying he is "British-Irish". Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 21:04, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

MacGowan is as Irish as I am. During the 2020, where he is still famous, he still identifies as Irish, not English. And being born in the 60s to Irish parents also makes him an Irish citizen. Luckily, we don't have to go on my word for this, though - we have references. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 21:04, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

MacGowan is English. He was famous in the 1980s, and even corrected an interviewer for describing him as Irish. He only began to pretend to be Irish in the 1990s. It was an affectation on his part, like with the late Peter O'Toole. (2A00:23C5:C410:5601:DC62:5E2F:24BB:17F1 (talk) 22:07, 7 December 2022 (UTC))

Ok, I think we're done, so. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 22:42, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

May I correct you there he is half Irish and half English, he’s of Irish blood and English by nationality, to just describe him as English is badly ignoring the fact that there is what’s called a diaspora, I myself am part of the Irish diaspora and despite having been Wales born and bred still consider myself half-Welsh half-Irish. Once again, Irish is not just a nationality, it’s also something genetically passed down. My cat 41 (talk) 16:10, 8 December 2022 (UTC)

Wikipedia doesn't tend to rely on the results of blood tests. The appropriate description might be "English person of Irish descent" or "British person of Irish heritage", etc. As Batsun says above, it is possible that he has Irish Nationality, through his parents, but we would need a good source to support that. We might also have to take account of whether or not he typically describes himself as "English" or "Irish". 86.187.238.44 (talk) 10:19, 18 December 2022 (UTC) p.s. his full name also seems to be unsourced?

"most people born in Pembury, Kent are not Irish." - WP:POINTy, much? They are if they're born to Irish parents, were raised in Ireland, live n Ireland, and describe themselves as Irish. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 12:00, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

No, not POINTy at all. Just like "most people born in Pembury, Kent are not black" is not racist. But you'd need to check with the last census data. I believe nationality belongs in the infobox in this case. 86.187.238.44 (talk) 12:14, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

Ronnie O'Sullivan is always described as English, so why not MacGowan? (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:E5D6:5A8F:B5E3:35D7 (talk) 17:10, 30 November 2023 (UTC))

Well, in March 2000 he told Andrew Anthony of The Observer: "I'm completely Irish' he says in a completely English accent. He dismisses England as a 'miserable, boring, stupid waste of time'? Martinevans123 (talk) 17:23, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Peter O'Toole and many others have claimed to be Irish, when in fact they were English. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:E5D6:5A8F:B5E3:35D7 (talk) 17:59, 30 November 2023 (UTC))

I suspect a few other people might also have considered MacGowan to be Irish (like President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, for example?) Under the 1956 Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, which replaced an earlier Act in 1935, weren't the children of Irish parents automatically Irish? Martinevans123 (talk) 19:12, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

They were, and are. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 20:09, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

So why is O'Sullivan described as English, and MacGowan as English and Irish? At the height of his fame in the 1980s MacGowan described himself as English and as London Irish, and often performed in a Union Jack outfit. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:D12C:5894:E195:1D18 (talk) 12:40, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

I'm not sure that wearing a Union Jack outfit necessarily makes one English. Wearing your underpants outside your trousers doesn't make you Superman? But it would be interesting to know why he did that. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:48, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

I have no idea why Ronnie O'Sullivan is described as English. That's something to discuss on the relevant article page, if you think it's an error. See also WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS. Shane MacGowan was born to Irish parents, which makes him Irish. As explained above. I don't really see what's so hard to understand about that. He also identified as and described himself as Irish. See here and here, for example. He's Irish. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 13:02, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

He was born in England, described himself as English, and even corrected an interviewer for calling him Irish. Why is Peter O'Toole described as English, yet MacGowan is called Irish? They were both English. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:F190:DD01:474:6C94 (talk) 17:52, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

Last time: read WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS. He was born to two Irish parents in 1957. This makes him Irish. He was raised in Ireland, lived for much of his life in Ireland, and described himself as Irish. All of this has already been linked, several times, by several editors, above. We are firmly into WP:ICANTHEARTHAT territory, now. Step away from the dead horse, please. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 17:58, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

He was raised entirely in England. He only went to Ireland for holidays. This argument seems very racist - would you say the Irish Prime Minister is an Indian? (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:5170:92E9:652F:4337 (talk) 18:28, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

Do you understand what the 1956 Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act meant? He had no choice that both his parents were Irish. I don't see what this has to do with racism. Mr Sunak's nationality is wholly irrelevant. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:32, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

If you are born and raised in England as MacGowan was then you are English. To pretend otherwise is racist. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:5170:92E9:652F:4337 (talk) 18:34, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

I'm very sorry, IP 2A00, but your accusations are way out of line here. I think you might want to drop this ranting before you're politely asked to leave. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:40, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

It is being claimed here that people born and raised entirely in England can't be English if their parents were from another country. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:5170:92E9:652F:4337 (talk) 18:59, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

Again, do you understand what the 1956 Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act meant? Martinevans123 (talk) 19:02, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

A racist act from a - thankfully - bygone era. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:E0EF:3B2D:1879:9D67 (talk) 20:02, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

A "bygone era"? Here's the current situation. Under "Who is an Irish citizen by birth?", Note 3 says this:

"If you were born outside of Ireland, you are automatically an Irish citizen by birth if either one of your parents was born in Ireland and was entitled to Irish citizenship."

Looks a bit like 1956, doesn't it? Martinevans123 (talk) 20:20, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

The 1956 nationality act is "racist" despite being one of the most generous among any nation in the Global North? Hmmm. Even my own mother qualifies and her link to Ireland is tenuous. And trying to claim a guy who clearly wanted nothing to do with his country of birth comes off as a little contrarian to me. Hence, he was Irish...always was. If he held British nationality, that was just a technicality and of minor importance.--SinoDevonian (talk) 20:50, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Again, IP, absolutely nobody has made that claim. And really, stop with the WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS argument. Enough. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 09:06, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

MacGowan was openly pro-British during the 1980s. It was only at some point in the late 1990s that he reinvented himself as Irish. I find this whole topic quite disturbing, people are basically claiming people born in England are not English if their parents were originally from elsewhere. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:C579:71DB:C61F:A904 (talk) 09:18, 2 December 2023 (UTC))

IP 2A00, do you have any actual sources for these claims? If you find "this whole topic quite disturbing", it might be better if you just allow other editors to discuss possible improvements to the article. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 11:07, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

IP 2A00, you honestly don't get that the wearing of the union jack by London punks was done ironically? Seriously? Maybe you're more from the girl power era, when it was done without irony! Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 11:57, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

Punk was in the 1970s. It seems people here do not regard Rishi Sunak as British. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:C579:71DB:C61F:A904 (talk) 13:44, 2 December 2023 (UTC))

We're just drifting away again from anything to do with improving this article?? Martinevans123 (talk) 14:02, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

No one claimed a person 'can't' be English if their parents were born elsewhere. This is about a specific person. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationality explains clearly that the word nationality does not only refer to legal status or country of origin but is more complex. Knot Lad (talk) 14:15, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

I don't want to prolong this rather silly debate, but according to British law, he was a British citizen (British nationality law: All persons born in the British Islands before 1 January 1983 were automatically granted citizenship by birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents) AND according to Irish law, he was an Irish citizen (Irish nationality law#Entitlement by birth, descent, or adoption: Children born overseas are Irish citizens by descent if either parent was born in Ireland and is either an Irish citizen or entitled to be one). So he was a dual national unless he paid good money to renounce one or other, which is vanishingly unlikely. --𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 16:24, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

IP 2A00. For the last time. Nobody is saying anything about Richie Sunak, Peter O'Toole, Ronnie O'Sullivan, or anyone else you care to mention who isn't Shane MacGowan. WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS. Do not assume what I, or anyone else, thinks about anyone or anything else. Your repeated assumptions, personal attacks and refusal to acknowledge the reality of WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS and WP:CONSENSUS is now in the territory of tendentious editing, and you will end up with a block if you persist. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 19:17, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

The Edge and Adam Clayton. Born in Britain to British parents and raised in Britain and Ireland = Irish. Dave Allen. Born in Ireland to a British mother and Irish father, mostly grew up in Britain and spent most of his adult life in Britain = Irish. Shane MacGowan. Born in Britain to Irish parents and mostly grew up in Britain = Irish. Detecting a pattern here. The rules are twisted to fit the political agenda. 82.21.19.72 (talk) 00:42, 3 December 2023 (UTC)

Boring. The discussion is closed. --𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 00:52, 3 December 2023 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Sinead O'Connor

O'Connor reportedly contacted police after she found McGowan collapsed on the floor at his home. It was only later that her motives were questioned by McGowan. The article requires clarification on this. 86.31.218.22 (talk) 11:31, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

I've added this as it is corroborated by the given source. O'Connor found MacGowan in a state of overdose. Unknown Temptation (talk) 16:24, 3 December 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 December 2023

Typo: please change 'commecially' to 'commercially'. 188.99.198.4 (talk) 06:04, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

 Done NotAGenious (talk) 08:50, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

Age

by my maths he was 66 when he died 2001:8A0:751F:1600:117A:6295:6CA9:7DFD (talk) 07:28, 6 December 2023 (UTC)

Your maths is wrong. He would have been 66 on Christmas Day. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 10:26, 6 December 2023 (UTC)

Childhood

His biographer confirmed MacGowan never lived in Ireland as a child, although the family did go on holiday there. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:E5D6:5A8F:B5E3:35D7 (talk) 18:40, 30 November 2023 (UTC))

That's directly contradicted by other sources. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 20:08, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Name them, Éireannach, and no vagarities. ——Serial 20:17, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Excuse me? "Éireannach"? WTF? Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 20:40, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

The electoral roll confirms MacGowan's parents never lived in Ireland. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:F190:DD01:474:6C94 (talk) 17:50, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

Lol! Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 17:59, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

His parents lived in England throughout his childhood. This is no different than Peter O'Toole claiming to have been born in Ireland when the records proved otherwise. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:5170:92E9:652F:4337 (talk) 18:33, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

So if one "lives in England", one can't go on holiday somewhere else? Did MacGowan claim he had lived in Ireland as a child and if so when did he do that? What are your sources? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:38, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

The records show he never lived in Ireland until he was an adult. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:5170:92E9:652F:4337 (talk) 19:00, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

Which records? The source currently used in the article is this one, which has an interesting headline. Martinevans123 (talk) 19:06, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

The census records confirm they never lived in Ireland at that time. (2A00:23C5:C416:3001:E0EF:3B2D:1879:9D67 (talk) 20:05, 1 December 2023 (UTC))

Can you share with us here the census records you have seen? Which census years were they? Many thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:15, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Whatever about the underlying question, neither census records nor electoral registration records tell us anything about whether the family lived in any particular country, so please stop throwing them around to try to prove a point. In both the UK and Ireland, electoral registration is voluntary, while the census records who's at a location at a particular moment. These statements do not make sense: "...electoral roll confirms MacGowan's parents never lived in Ireland" and "...census records confirm they never lived in Ireland". In fact, given the Common Travel Area, there are probably no public records which could prove that MacGowan did or did not live in Ireland - this is a matter for reporters, biographers and the subject's own words. SeoR (talk) 21:02, 1 December 2023 (UTC)

Exactly. One of my children was apparently living here at home for about three years while simultaneously living in Australia! Was it a miracle? No. They just didn't notify the council that they should no longer be on the electoral register. One of my other kids, going by the IP's reasoning, doesn't still live at my house because they've not bothered registering yet! And, of course, UK census records from 1957 on have not yet been released to the public. Bastun^{Ėġáḍβáś₮ŭŃ!} 09:03, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

You may be entitled to a reduction in your council tax :) Yes, the reasons why people don't want to appear on the electoral register and/or complete a census return are many and varied. Not sure if that would have been unlawful in Ireland at that time. Martinevans123 (talk) 11:02, 7 December 2023 (UTC)

Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six

The article mentions the fact the song was "highly controversial" and was banned on TV and radio, but doesn't explain the reasons why. The article requires clarification on this. 195.99.227.0 (talk) 14:13, 8 December 2023 (UTC)

I've added a brief description of the reason for the controversy, though the song has its own article which has more details about the ban. Also to my understanding it was the IBA which imposed the ban, meaning it only applied to commercial radio and TV, so I've added that detail as well. Although it's fair to say the BBC generally didn't play the song either, I don't think they officially announced any ban. Mark and inwardly digest (talk) 14:37, 8 December 2023 (UTC)