Shane MacGowan's wife shares tribute to star after his death at 65

Victoria Mary Clarke, the wife of the late Shane MacGowan, has posted a poignant tribute following the 65-year-old star's passing last week.

The legendary Irish rocker known for the iconic Christmas song Fairytale of New York, passed away 'peacefully' at 3 am on Thursday, with his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, by his side.

MacGowan fronted The Pogues from 1982 until the band split in 2014.

In her post shared on Monday, Victoria, 57, stated her husband was 'so determined to live' before his passing and shared a sweet image showing the hitmaker flashing the smile which 'had a way of lighting up everyone around him.'

His passing prompted an outpouring of global tributes and started a renewed campaign to get Fairytale Of New York to number one in the UK for the first time.

Alongside the image of Shane smiling in a taxi, Victoria penned: 'It's so hard to believe that someone could be so vibrant and beautiful and so determined to live only a few days ago. But so many people are losing loved ones all over the world...

'My prayers are for all of you guys as Shane's would be.' Shane was always able to smile right until the last and his smile had a way of lightning up everyone around him no matter how much he was struggling or in pain...

'I hope this smile can still work its magic.'

Last week, Victoria admitted she's 'going to miss him so much' as she shared a selection of snaps with The Pogues hitmaker after his death.