Inside Shane MacGowan and Johnny Depp’s unlikely friendship and how the pair met: Late Pogues rocker ‘worshipped’ actor who played a special part in his funeral

Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan's funeral got a Hollywood send-off when his close friend Johnny Depp paid his respects at the service in Dublin on Friday.

The Hollywood star, 60, was commissioned to read one of the prayers at the service after the New York Fairy Tale singer passed away on November 30.

Johnny arrived at St Mary's of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, County Tipperary, wearing a black suit, hat and scarf with dark sunglasses, after up to 30,000 mourners lined the streets of the city to pay their respects.

Depp and MacGowan were friends for more than thirty years after a chance meeting in a pub, but they immediately 'fell in love'.

Read more about their loyal friendship below…

Johnny Depp and Shane MacGowan were friends for over thirty years after a chance meeting in a pub, but they immediately 'fell in love'

How did Johnny Depp and Shane MacGowan meet?

Depp and MacGowan were friends for more than 30 years after a chance meeting in a pub, but they immediately 'fell in love' (pictured in 1994)

The Hollywood star was among those scheduled to read prayers at the Pogues frontman's service after the Fairytale of New York singer died on November 30.

In 2020, Depp said: 'When I met Shane he was negotiating for a pool table. There was a drink in this hand, a pint, and in this hand was a guitar.

“And he staggered, balancing back and forth, trying to negotiate which way to fall. I watched him do that for about 15 minutes.

'Then I was introduced to him, before he fell, and from that moment on you just knew… there are times in life when you know this will only happen once, when you get the chance to spend time with greatness.

“Having known him for a long time, I can only say that I fell in love with him from the moment I met him, and to this day I am still in love with him.”

A look into the friendship between Johnny Depp and Shane MacGowan

MacGowan died on November 30 after returning from hospital amid a battle with a brain condition – his wife Victoria shared the photo of him in his hospital bed above

Pictured: Shane MacGowan's funeral procession in Dublin ahead of his funeral on December 8

Depp said: “I was introduced to him, and from that moment on you just knew… there are times in life when you know this is only going to happen once.”

Depp arrived at St Mary's of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, County Tipperary, after as many as 30,000 people descended on Dublin to pay their respects to the late rock star

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star serenaded Shane and his wife Victoria at their wedding in Copenhagen in 2018

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star serenaded Shane and his wife Victoria at their wedding in Copenhagen in 2018.

“His wife Victoria is a great partner for Shane,” Depp said, “they are best friends, and I've seen that continue for years under all kinds of duress.”

The pair are both music lovers, and the actor even played guitar in The Pogues' 1994 Top of the Pops performance to perform That Woman's Got Me Drinking.

He also produced Crock of Gold – A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan, a 2020 documentary that tells the story of MacGowan's career, directed by Julien Temple.

The documentary inspired a new wave of global Pogues fans and went on to win the Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams also helped produce the photo.

In 2022, the rock star and his wife publicly supported Depp during his defamation trial against Amber Heard.

In an open letter, MacGowan said: 'Hello Johnny, I often think you are the brother Vic and I never had!

“Don't even worry if people hit you or lie about you. You're a brilliant actor and a great musician and you have a huge fan base who all love you, including me and everyone I know.

'So keep doing what you're doing. People who talk to me always ask about you and I say I can't talk about you other than I'm pretty sure you're happy and to use a rock and roll cliché: fuck the disfavors.'

The couple also shared a message to Depp last June wishing him a happy 60th birthday.

The Instagram post read: 'Happy birthday beautiful @johnnydepp! We are so happy that this handsome guy is having fun doing what he absolutely loves and we are so proud of him for everything he has brought to our lives and to the world.

'So much incredible art and music and film and writing, not to mention his unique and endlessly creative ways with clothes and accessories and of course hair!!! No matter how bored, lethargic or uninspired you feel, you only need to spend a minute in the sunshine of His presence to feel uplifted and, more importantly, feel special, relevant and worth something. .

'It is possible that this rare and precious gift he has of making everyone (well, almost everyone!) feel loved is his gift, but of course his gifts and talents are still unknown and unknowable and unfolding continual. To have lived at all after so many years of living beyond the limit and radiating creativity at every moment is a beautiful miracle indeed!!!

“Now JD is redefining what it means to be 60, and 20-year-olds have no chance of keeping up! We LOVE and adore this man from the tips of his ears to his toenails, and we are honored to have benefited from so much of his wonderful spirit in so many ways that we can't possibly count the ways. Bless you and keep the faith, dearest Johnny, and happy birthday from your admirers Victoria and Shane.”