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His songs were peppered with references to cultural figures, from writer Christy Brown to mythological hero Cuchulainn.

Teeming with allusions to Irish legends — ancient mythology intertwines with figures who loomed large in the country’s contemporary lore — “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn” is a dizzying example of MacGowan’s prowess as a writer.

As replete with literary allusions as “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn,” “A Pair of Brown Eyes” is the opposite of defiance: it’s MacGowan discovering deliverance in yearning.

And so, let's end with a MacGowan lyric, a little something for this moment of farewell, to what felt like a near immortal hell raiser, from The Pogues' song The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn.

Stefan’s Cuchulainn: Remembering Detroit boxer Ducky Dietz, who was “quick with his fists in the ring.”