When two legends met - Shane MacGowan and Seanie Hogan

Nenagh man Sean Hogan, whose untimely death occurred last week, was a great musician, as two of his friends recalled.

Mary O’ Shea and Liz O’ Shea rembered a night that Sean, or Seanie as he was known to his many friends, took part in an unplanned and spontaneous session with Pogues singer Shane MacGowan who was holidaying in his ancestors’ native place in Carney, Puckane, and strolled in to Cloughjordan nine years ago.

Mary wrote the following verse in memory of that memorable night.

She has titled the tribute to Seanie, ‘When One Legend Played for Another’, and it’s reproduced below.

When One Legend Played for Another

“One night in Cloughjordan, in Bomber’s Railway Bar,

“Back in 2014, one legend played for another.

“It was an ordinary Tuesday night. Unexpectedly, Shane MacGowan walked in from Carney while Seanie played his acoustic guitar.

“We were all excited to see Shane.  Many of us were dying to hear him sing but Shane abruptly blurted out, ‘Don’t ask me to sing!’

“That was all he had to say, and then Seanie took it from there. He began to play nearly every Pogue song ever written with his usual grace and style.

“Soon, the pints were flying. It was as though someone had lit a torch. We were all mesmerized.

“When Seanie went for a break, the two of them had a chat and this photo (above) was taken capturing that ‘rare auld time’.

“We all knew that Shane MacGowan was a legend but that night, Seanie Hogan became one too.”