It was Christmas Eve babe

Writing exclusively for the Irish Examiner, Shane MacGowan recalls the festive seasons of his childhood in Tipperary and London.

IN The Commons, which is my family home in Tipperary, every fucking night was like Christmas, except Christmas itself, which was pretty dull in comparison. It was a party house, there was singing and dancing and drinking and gambling every night of the week.

I was born on Christmas Day, which is a good thing because it means I never have to have a birthday party. My Ma would always impress upon the family that it was my birthday as well as Christmas Day, And they would sing Happy Birthday and blow out candles. It was very embarrassing because I don’t like being the centre of attention, even though I am a lead singer.