The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan left almost £5million to wife in will as estate revealed three years after death

His widow Victoria Mary Clarke has been named as both the sole executor and sole beneficiary of the estate.

The gross and net values were recorded at the same amount, indicating no outstanding debts against the estate.

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In Ireland, a separate grant of probate was issued to Mrs Clarke in June 2024 through the Courts Service probate register, meaning the £4.8 million figure covers only his assets held in England and Wales.

Mr MacGowan’s will, signed on March 14, 2018, predated his marriage and therefore refers to Mrs Clarke as his “partner” rather than his wife.

The document states: “I give, devise and bequeath all I die possessed of, both real and personal and wheresoever situate, to the said Victoria Mary Clarke for her own absolute use and benefit and I appoint her my residuary legatee.”

The pair tied the knot in Copenhagen in November 2018, several months after the will was drawn up.

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Should Mrs Clarke have predeceased him, Mr MacGowan’s sister Siobhan MacGowan, a novelist, was designated as the alternative heir to his entire estate.

Since his passing, Mrs Clarke has spoken openly about the devastating toll of her loss.

She revealed that she contacted the Samaritans helpline “several times” as she battled overwhelming grief and thoughts of ending her own life.

“There were obviously enormous amounts of desolation and despair. There were quite a few days where I thought that I definitely wanted to kill myself – I wanted to get out of here and go and be with him,” she said.

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Despite the anguish, Mrs Clarke has also reflected warmly on their decades-long bond.

“He looked after me, we looked after each other. We were complete,” she said of their relationship.

Born on Christmas Day 1957 to Irish parents in Pembury, Kent, Mr MacGowan spent much of his early years in County Tipperary, where he grew up surrounded by the traditions of ceilidh bands and showbands.

He would go on to become one of Ireland’s most celebrated songwriters, leading The Pogues in their distinctive fusion of Irish folk music and punk.

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Mr MacGowan died peacefully at 3am, surrounded by Mrs Clarke and his family, just weeks before what would have been his 66th birthday.

Thousands of mourners later gathered along Dublin’s streets as his funeral cortege made its way through the capital.

The funeral service took place at St Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, featuring a performance by Nick Cave, with Johnny Depp and Game of Thrones actor Aidan Gillen among the attendees.