Rory Cowan steps in to defend Shane MacGowan after brutal criticism

Rory Cowan has defended RTE’s decision to dedicate their Late Late Show to Shane MacGowan, describing him as ‘timeless lyricist’.

The former Mrs Brown’s Boys actor stepped in to defend MacGowan after Irish broadcaster Adele King, known as ‘Twink’, had launched a scathing attack on the Pogues frontman.

The Late Late Show special saw numerous Irish musicians and performers pay tribute to MacGowan and the impact he has had on Irish music.

However, Twink was not impressed and slammed ‘some pillock in RTE’ for commissioning the episode. She described MacGowan as ‘a dishevelled, inarticulate drunk’ and said the show left her feeling ‘embarrassed to be an entertainer’.

The 61-year-old actress did not hold back. She continued: “I have always considered Shane MacGowan a disgrace to us… a dishevelled… inarticulate drunk who wrote ONE song we can remember… and one I’d rather not.. I have always LOATHED.. THAT song!

“I had the misfortune to have a brief showbiz encounter with him on a New Year’s Eve… many, many, many moons ago… I smelt him before I saw him.

“As he was helped across the floor all I could smell was alcohol.

“So to hear him revered by the LL show and referred to constantly as a genius… hailed as a legend by celebs… made me want to throw up!!!”

However, Fair City star Cowan has spoken out in defence of the popular MacGowan.

He described Twink as the ‘Grinch who ruined Christmas’.

Cowan told the Irish Sun: “Twink didn’t have to say any of this.

“She knows about how hurtful comments can be because when her TV show was on, the internet was full of people saying nasty things.

“People saying her show was sh**e and it was. Yet she goes ahead and comes out with this? Why?”

Cowan continued: “Adele is definitely not qualified to comment on Shane. Have you heard a song like Rainy Night In Soho, the lyrics are pure genius.”

He also admitted he took the insults towards the song personally, as he was working as a marketing manager for EMI when Fairytale of New York was released.

He said: “I’d compare Adele saying this stuff to the gobsh**e DJs bleeping out the language in Fairytale Of New York.

“Who the f*** do they think they are trying to censor an artist like Shane MacGowan?

“I was working with The Pogues when Fairytale Of New York came out.

“In the UK, the Pet Shop Boys were at number one but in Ireland at the same time, The Pogues were outselling The Pet Shop Boys 10 to one.

“So, Shane getting a Late Late special is well deserved.

“I know some people made a big fuss over the bar but there was a bar in Mrs Brown’s Boys, there are a couple of bars in Fair City.

And Shane’s Late Late Special happened after the watershed.”

The public disagreement will not do anything to soften the relationship between Cowan and Twink.

The pair were once friends after working together in television, and Cowan reportedly helped Twink clear her mortgage arrears after she got into financial difficulty.

When he declined returning to work as an unpaid advisor on Twink’s return to the screens, she labelled him ‘Rory the Rat’, adding: “No favours with Rory… EVER, It’s ALL business. He is STRICTLY a ‘bread head’…

Cowan responded: “If I was a bread head, I wouldn’t have been paying her mortgage.”

Last year there was another public bust-up at the funeral of Cowan’s mother, Esther.

Cowan was furious Twink had turned up and told her: “This is only for family and friends, you are neither. Now go! Now please go.”

She described his behaviour as “one of the filthiest, dirtiest, most shameful, hideous, gestures that has ever been offered me anywhere in my life”.

This latest public spat suggests the festive spirit is doing nothing to thaw the hostilities between the two personalities.

Cowan summarised: “I’d rather work on the bins than work with Twink again. She’s the Grinch who ruined Christmas making these sorts of comments.

“Putting this sort of stuff out is not going to win her any friends. No one is going to say ‘well done to her’. This is just plain nasty. She always had this streak in her, this type of attitude.”

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