The hearse carrying Shane MacGowan’s coffin is currently travelling to Co Tipperary for a public funeral Mass, which will take place at St Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh at 3.30pm today. Along with the singer’s family and friends, President Michael D Higgins is expected to attend the funeral, as are well-known faces from the world of music. The songwriter, who found fame as the frontman of London-Irish punk/folk band The Pogues, died at the age of 65 last week.

Earlier today, crowds of people gathered in Dublin for a funeral procession which began in Ringsend around 11am and made its way through various streets of the capital until just after midday.

Here some of the best reads published since his death:

• BP Fallon on his photo of Shane MacGowan and Sinéad O’Connor ‘having a vibe’ in 1988
• Shane MacGowan obituary: Outsider who became one of Ireland’s most feted sons
• ‘Shane had many acquaintances, but just a few friends … we knew who was who’
• Shane MacGowan: The lyrics that defined a great songwriter
• Diarmaid Ferriter: Singer captured what it was to struggle on the margins of a place that didn’t want you
• You can find our full coverage on the late singer here

A handmade sign with “thanks for all the fairy tales Shane” was placed on the side of the road on the way into Nenagh, Co Tipperary, where Shane MacGowan’s funeral is due to take place later on Friday afternoon.

“RIP Shane” was written on the side of a haybale further along the road.

Arthur Beesley writes:

Dublin came to a standstill as Shane MacGowan’s horse-drawn hearse made its way into the city centre, followed by a huge throng of mourners.

There was a hushed quiet on Westland Row as the cortege passed, the only sounds the slow, intimate beat of a single drum, the lament of an uilleann piper sitting by the coachman and then applause from the crowd.

Outside the Royal Irish Academy of Music near the top of the street, the black-plumed horses came to a halt. The Artane Band played two of MacGowan’s best-loved tunes, Fairytale of New York and Rainy Night in Soho. People sang along, some throwing flowers over the hearse.

Mourners came forward to sympathise with Victoria Mary Clarke, MacGowan’s widow, when she rolled down the limousine window. There were tears and there was laughter, phone screens everywhere recording the event and people watching from the upper floors of the buildings nearby.

There was more applause and cheers as the cortege moved on again, turning left on to Fenian Street passing Sweny’s historic pharmacy, the place where Leopold Bloom in James Joyce’s Ulysses is said to have bought a bar of soap for Molly Bloom.

On Denzille Lane nearby, MacGowan’s coffin was transferred to a motor hearse for the final drive to his funeral Mass in Nenagh.

At that moment a band formed a circle in the crowd, people lurching forward to hear A Pair of Brown Eyes, the Leaving of Liverpool and the Rare Auld Mountain Dew.

This tribute from the members of the Rising Sons prompted an impromptu singalong for MacGowan. Seán Butler and Declan played guitar, David Browne the tin whistle, Jimmy Morrison the banjo and harmonica and Eddie Kane the banjo.

They played Ewan McColl’s Dirty Old Town and finished up with Fairytale of New York, the crowd singing every single word. At noon on a damp Friday in the middle of Dublin, it was a gentle moment of love and devotion.

MacGowan’s public funeral Mass, which will be livestreamed, will take place at St Mary’  of the Rosary Church in Nenagh at 3.30pm.

President Michael D Higgins is expected to attend alongside well-known faces from the world of music.

Father Pat Gilbert told RTÉ the funeral would celebrate the spiritual side of MacGowan.

He said: “It’s a side of him that’s not known but it’s a side of him we must celebrate. It’s a side that was important to him in the context of his living of his life.

“We will have the rite of reception, we’ll have Mass and we’ll have the rite of final accommodation interspersed with pieces of his music which will be performed by some of his friends.

“I think that’s the right thing to do, that’s the way to celebrate the man, the faith, the music and the lyric. It’s the way to celebrate and remember the husband, the brother, the son and the brother-in-law.”

Following the funeral Mass, the public will also have the opportunity to pay their respects as the funeral cortege moves through Nenagh town centre from Church Road to Market Cross.

A private cremation will follow. MacGowan was due to celebrate his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.

Some more images from the funeral procession from The Irish Times:

“The Troubles were in full tilt. A lot of terrible things happened.

“Shane MacGowan opened doors. He introduced Irish culture and his own unique writing ability and voice and style that opened up a mix of Irish music plus rock plus punk – his whole unique persona transformed into song that enlightened the world.”

People climbed to stand up on window ledges dancing and clapping along as the crowd sang more of MacGowan’s music.

As the procession came to a close, mother and son James and Maria Coogan shared a hug as Maria had “a lump in my throat the size of an apple after the whole morning”.

“I missed Sinéad O’Connor’s funeral and was gutted so I was determined to make it to this. We’re big fans,” Maria said.

“Mam introduced me to The Pogues from a very young age and they’ve been a staple for me, so it’s a very emotional day,” James said.

Mourners, many holding photographs of Shane MacGowan, are singing Dirty Old Town following his funeral procession through the streets of Dublin.

A large crowd has gathered outside Sweny’s Pharmacy to pay tribute to the singer-songwriter. Musicians are leading the public in a rendition of Fairytale of New York outside Sweny’s. – PA

The Artane Band in the funeral procession played Fairytale of New York in tribute to The Pogues frontman.

Many following the cortege were wearing band T-shirts and speaking among friends about memories of gigs that MacGowan had played.

Fifteen Dublin Bus staff in orange high-vis jackets stood in a line outside the Dublin Bus garage in Ringsend to pay their respects as the funeral procession passed by the building.

St Andrew’s Resource Centre placed a speaker outside their building, playing Fairytale of New York, as the crowd walked past clapping along to the song.

Gathering with friends on the street, John Farrell from Tallaght said he was out to pay his respects to a musician who “lived life to the full”.

“I liked his music, his voice, his own identity. He lived life to the full, that’s the way people should live their life,” Farrell said.

Farrell said he was a “huge fan” of MacGowan and first saw him perform live in 1996 in the Olympia in Dublin. He then saw him perform every time he played in Dublin since.

“It was brilliant, it was mental. Real rowdy fans, great craic. As soon as he walked on stage the place went mental, beer flying all over the place. He was a great bloke, he’s going to be sadly missed.”

Among those who turned out to pay their respects was Aidan Grimes (60) who described MacGowan as an icon.

He said: “I remember the first time I saw The Pogues in the Hammersmith Odeon in 1985. It is imprinted in my mind forever, just the madness and mayhem, the raucous nature of his singing and the music they were playing. Through the years he evolved into a great poet and he will be sadly missed.

“I met him in Dublin about 15 years ago and he was a very charming, nice, friendly man. He talked about music and his time in London.

“I thought it was important to pay my respects. He was an icon of Dublin, just like Brendan Behan, Luke Kelly. His music will be listened to in 100 years’ time.”

Josie Feeney from Co Leitrim travelled to Dublin to pay her respects at the public procession to remember the singer.

She said: “My father’s family were from Tipperary, my grandmother was from Nenagh.

“We don’t always know all the lyrics but this week we know more of Shane’s lyrics, they are really very moving, they are poetry. He was a genius.

“His legacy will live on forever. Bruce Springsteen said in 100 years’ time we will be singing the words of his songs.”

Crowds line the streets by Grand Canal Dock as they wait for the funeral procession of Shane MacGowan to make its way through the streets of Dublin.