'The world would never change to suit Philip Chevron - so he made his own'
The coffin of Philip Chevron at a service to celebrate his life held in The Mansion House, Dublin. Picture By David Conachy 12/10/2013
Declan Lynch at a service to celebrate Philip Chevron life held in The Mansion House, Dublin. Picture By David Conachy 12/10/2013
A young Philip Chevron.
Brush Shiels and Shay Healy at a service to celebrate Philip Chevron life held in The Mansion House, Dublin. Picture By David Conachy 12/10/2013
Guggi at a service to celebrate Philip Chevron life held in The Mansion House, Dublin. Picture By David Conachy 12/10/2013
Gavin Friday and Doodle kennelly at a service to celebrate Philip Chevron life held in The Mansion House, Dublin. Picture By David Conachy 12/10/2013
MOURNERS from various parts of the Irish music, arts and theatre scene attended the humanist funeral of the former Pogues guitarist Phil Chevron today.
Well-known faces including Gavin Friday, Guggi and Brush Shields were among the mourners, alongside the family of the 56-year-old who died on Tuesday.
"I think Phil, from the earliest age, knew that he was living in a world ... in which you couldn't be depending on others to do the right thing," the author Declan Lynch, who gave an oration, said.
"And since that world would never change to suit him, he would make his own world, starting with the change from Philip Ryan to Philip Chevron, and taking it from there.
"He was a deeply sophisticated person growing up in a country which seemed to value only eejitry and bad politics, and of course, bad music.
"He was a gay man growing up in that country.
"As a man of the theatre as well as a man of rock'n'roll, and eventually even a football man, Phil would have a list of personal friends and admirers which included Joe Strummer and Maureen Lipman, Matt Dillon and Christy Moore, and Stuart Pearce of Nottingham Forest and England," he added.
"Shane MacGowan said in an interview recently that one of his earliest memories of Phil, was seeing him wearing three different pairs of shoes on the same day," Mr Lynch added.
"It was not just talent, or charisma, but some unique way of being in the world, and of making others feel good about it. That's what Phil had. Philip Ryan - Philip Chevron - had class."
Chevron, who was born Philip Ryan in Dublin in 1957, was a songwriter, singer, and guitarist with The Pogues and the Radiators from Space.
His songs include the Pogues' standard “Thousands Are Sailing”, and “Faithful Departed,” later sung by Christy Moore, and “Kitty Ricketts” from the Radiators' classic album “Ghostown”.
An authority on the music of Brecht and Weill, he recorded with Agnes Bernelle and Elvis Costello and worked with Druid Theatre.
He is survived by his mother Christine and sister Deborah.
Mr Chevron was buried after the ceremony in Dardistown Cemetery.
