Johnny Depp gobsmacked at 'split-second' Shane MacGowan ...
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Shane MacGowan funeral undertaker lifts lid on 'split-second' change of plan
AN undertaker has revealed how security at Shane MacGowan’s funeral was thrown into last-minute chaos when he invited the singer’s pal Johnny Depp to carry the coffin.
It was a “split-second decision” made by Tipperary undertaker Philly Ryan on the altar at St Mary of the Rosary Church last Friday, which led to Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny leading mourners carrying Shane’s wicker casket out of the church.
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Tipperary undertaker and publican Philly Ryan, a close pal of Shane’s for decades, said he is still reeling from the extraordinary three-hour celebration of Ireland’s greatest songwriter.
However the funeral director has waited until now to reveal he clashed with Depp’s security to make sure Shane left the church on his Hollywood pal’s shoulders.
Philly told The Irish Sun: “This story has been busting inside of me, I suppose I’d better tell it.
“Johnny Depp carrying Shane’s coffin. That was never meant to happen. I’m sure Johnny is still wondering how it happened.
“But when I saw the pride on his face as he carried Shane down the church, I knew I’d made the right decision.”
But the decision was to have serious consequences, as inviting Johnny to carry Shane’s coffin out of the church departed from detailed security plans.
Philly told us: “When Johnny turned up at bottom of the church. The crowd spotted him and started roaring. His security told me, ‘Now look at the trouble you’re after causing’.”.
One attendee recounted to The Irish Sun how an excited fan sat on Johnny’s lap and then asked for a selfie before being removed.
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But the undertaker insisted he had no regrets about his late decision to throw proceedings into chaos by asking Depp to carry Shane on his final journey.
Philly told The Irish Sun: “Sometimes people don’t treat celebrities like human beings. Johnny deserved to carry Shane’s coffin. He was his best man. He was there for the right reasons.”
But the undertaker admits Depp was gobsmacked when in the final moments of Shane’s funeral, Philly came down from the altar to find Johnny in his pew.
Philly told us: “I said ‘Johnny, you are going to carry Shane’s coffin’. Johnny looked at me, like I’d punched him in the face. ‘What are you on about?’
“I told him, ‘we want you to carry Shane’s coffin’.
“A security man rushed over and said ‘Johnny! This is NOT in the plan!’ But Johnny told the security guy, ‘No, I’m going to do this’.
'DEAD AGAINST IT'“The security were still dead against it, but by then I had Johnny’s elbow on the coffin. No one expected Johnny to carry Shane’s coffin. It was never in the plan. The next time I saw Johnny’s security was at the cremation the next day and I never looked at them. They were ready to pull my head off!”
Global star Johnny jetted in specially for Shane’s service and read the Prayers of The Faithful at the service hailed as the greatest send-off in Irish history, with Glen Hansard and The Pogues singing Fairytale of New York.
But for Philly, it was Depp carrying his friend’s coffin which topped everything else.
He added: “I knew Johnny and Shane’s relationship over the years. Their relationship was beyond celebrity. It was true friendship.
“He so deserved to carry Shane’s coffin from that church.”
President Michael D Higgins, singer Nick Cave and an array of Irish musicians and singers attended the service.
Undertaker Philly has conducted five more local funerals since Shane’s mass.
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