RORY Cowan has blasted arch enemy Twink as ‘the Grinch who ruined Christmas’ for calling Shane MacGowan ‘a dishevelled, inarticulate drunk’ on his Late Late Show special.
The Fair City star said he took the attack personally as he helped turn Shane’s Pogues classic Fairytale of New York into a success while working as marketing manager for EMI.
Shane MacGowan with wife Victoria Mary Clarke on the Late Late Show special on FridayCredit: Andres Poveda
Twink in a scathing attack blasted “some pillock in RTE” for devoting an entire Late Late Show to Shane - who she said left her “embarrassed to be an entertainer”.
However fellow Rory hailed Shane as a “timeless lyricist”.
Rory told the Irish Sun: “Twink didn’t have to say any of this.
"She knows about how hurtful comments can be because when her TV show was on, the internet was full of people saying nasty things.
“People saying her show was sh**e and it was. Yet she goes ahead and comes out with this? Why?”
The 60-year-old, who fell out with Twink, real name Adele King, over her TV comeback, said the panto star had no business making public declarations about Shane MacGowan as she wasn’t in the same league as the London-Irish lyricist who penned timeless Pogues’ classics.
Rory said: “Adele is definitely not qualified to comment on Shane. Have you heard a song like Rainy Night In Soho, the lyrics are pure genius.”
Twink took to social media and slammed the national broadcaster for dedicating an entire show to Shane.
'DISHEVELLED INARTICULATE DRUNK'
In a blistering attack on the accomplished 61-year-old, Twink said: “I have always considered Shane MacGowan a disgrace to us... a dishevelled... inarticulate drunk who wrote ONE song we can remember... and one I’d rather not.. I have always LOATHED.. THAT song!
“I had the misfortune to have a brief showbiz encounter with him on a New Year’s Eve... many, many, many moons ago... I smelt him before I saw him.
“As he was helped across the floor (locked) all I could smell was alcohol.
“So to hear him revered by the LL show and referred to constantly as a genius... hailed as a legend by celebs... made me want to throw up!!!”
Rory’s comments are sure to renew hostilities between Rory and Twink.
In a previous Irish Sun exclusive last year, we revealed how Rory had shelled out €18,000 to pay Twink’s mortgage arrears on her home Idrone House in Knocklyon, south Dublin.
He was later labelled ‘Rory The Rat’ by Twink when he walked away from his role as unpaid adviser on her TV comeback.
ARCH ENEMIES
Speaking at the time Twink said: “No favours with Rory... EVER, It’s ALL business. He (Rory) is STRICTLY a ‘bread head’...
Rory countered: “If I was a bread head, I wouldn’t have been paying her mortgage.”
The pair had another bust up at the funeral of Rory’s beloved mum at which a raging Rory told Twink: “This is only for family and friends, you are neither. Now go! Now please go.”
A sobbing Twink told us Rory’s behaviour towards her, after the funeral of his mum Esther at the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, Balally, south Dublin last November was “one of the filthiest, dirtiest, most shameful, hideous, gestures that has ever been offered me anywhere in my life.
"Much less at the funeral of a man’s mother. If I had murdered Esther, if I had been responsible for Esther’s death, he could have done that to me”.
'RATHER WORK ON BINS THAN WITH TWINK'
However Rory, who will be appearing with stars like Red Hurley as a fundraiser in the Pro-Cathedral tonight for the Peter McVerry Trust and Dog’s Aid, said Twink’s comments about Shane was a reminder of why he decided to stop working with her.
Rory told us: “I’d rather work on the bins than work with Twink again.
“She’s the Grinch who ruined Christmas making these sorts of comments.
“Putting this sort of stuff out is not going to win her any friends. No one is going to say ‘well done to her’.
"This is just plain nasty. She always had this streak in her, this type of attitude.”
MRS BROWN STAR DEFENDS SHANE
The former Mrs Brown star said he felt inspired to come out and defend Shane as he had previously looked after The Pogues working as a marketing manager for EMI.
Rory said: “I’d compare Adele saying this stuff to the gobsh**e DJs bleeping out the language in Fairytale Of New York.
"Who the f*** do they think they are trying to censor an artist like Shane MacGowan?
“I was working with The Pogues when Fairytale Of New York came out.
"In the UK, the Pet Shop Boys were at number one but in Ireland at the same time, The Pogues were outselling The Pet Shop Boys 10 to one.
'WELL DESERVED'
“So Shane getting a Late Late special is well deserved.
"I know some people made a big fuss over the bar but there was a bar in Mrs Brown’s Boys, there are a couple of bars in Fair City.
And Shane’s Late Late Special happened after the watershed.”
Rory will be signing copies of his new memoir Mrs Cowan’s Boy in Eason and Dubray Books in Galway between 12- and 2pm this Friday.
TUBS DEFENDS PHILOMENA
Meanwhile yesterday Ryan Tubridy defended singer Philomena Begley who was lambasted on social media for forgetting the lyrics to Fairy Tale of New York when she performed on the Late Late special.
Ryan said: “Shane idolises Philomena Begley, this is the thing, he absolutely loves this woman.
“And she’s an amazing woman, and she’s great fun, she’s game for a laugh.
“Shane really wanted to sing this song with her and they did and the vibe in the place was just celebratory.
'LOVE GATHERINGS'
“And it was great fun. I think it was The Irish Times said the day after — ‘who would want an overly slick production of a Shane MacGowan tribute?’
"Which is an interesting way of putting it but it’s true.
“It was just one of of those love gatherings in a sort of Shane MacGowan sort of way.”
RTE revealed yesterday that Friday night’s Late Late was one of the most watched shows of the season.
The MacGowan special had an average audience of 591,300, making it the second-highest of the year after the Toy Show.
TWINKLING THROUGH THE YEARS
Earlier this year, Twink proved she could still pull an audience when her special Twinkling Through The Years’ drew 192,000 viewers with a 21 per cent share on RTE One.
Singer Philomena Begley was criticised on social media for forgetting the words to Fairytale of New YorkCredit: Andres Poveda
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