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Pogues singer Shane MacGowan released from hospital after five months
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Pogues singer Shane MacGowan released from hospital after five months

POGUES singer Shane MacGowan has been discharged from hospital after several months of treatment, according to his wife.

Victoria Mary Clarke expressed her hope last week that MacGowan would be back home in time for Christmas after five months in hospital.

Now, it looks as though the singer — who was born on Christmas Day and is famous for his festive hit Fairytale of New York — will be spending the holidays at home.

"Shane got out of the hospital!" she posted on Twitter this evening.

"We are deeply and eternally grateful to all of the doctors and nurses and staff at St Vincent's, it's the best!

"And special thanks to Tom Creagh and Brian Corscadden for your help."

Clarke has been keeping fans updated on the singer's health ever since he was admitted to hospital in June.

She recently revealed how his Pogues bandmates and a slew of other stars had been to visit him as he continued his hospital treatment.

MacGowan, who was born in England on Christmas Day 1957 to Irish parents, spent the festive season last year resting up at home after a spell in hospital.

He had been admitted earlier in December with what turned out to be shingles but the infection spread to his eye.

Further tests revealed he was suffering from encephalitis, a rare but dangerous condition that sees the brain becoming inflamed.

In June this year, the 65-year-old was admitted to intensive care and has been in hospital since.

MacGowan has largely been confined to a wheelchair since 2015 after breaking his pelvis in a fall while leaving a studio in Dublin.