If you thought the Pogues were an Irish band think again because according to Wikipedia they are very much English.
So much so that the online encyclopedia specifically warns those wishing to edit the band’s listing not to claim the Pogues are Irish.
Even though three of the band were born in Ireland and many others who were in the lineup were of Irish extraction Wikipedia still insists they are English.
While people from this country were under the impression that Shane MacGowan and his band were Irish so too did most people in the UK.
A survey by OnePoll on behalf of Lottoland in the run up to St Patrick’s Day found that British people believed that, along with Guinness, Father Ted and Terry Wogan, the Pogues were one of Ireland’s top cultural exports.
An Irish music journalist who tried to make the correction was informed that the band was English and that they were not to be claimed by Ireland.
But the Spanish version of Wikipedia acknowledges that the music and part of the band are Irish and has both the Union Jack and the Tricolour on its page.
And it is not just the people in Ireland and the UK who believe the Pogues are Irish so too do many in the US.
Commenting on a new documentary on the life Shane MacGowan produced by Hollywood star Johnny Depp the US showbiz bible the Hollywood Reporter said: “No one has bared their soul quite like Irish poet and musician MacGowan.”
