Shane MacGowan’s historic 1916 rifle ‘likely stolen’ as Victoria Mary Clarke appeals for help

The rile that was given to the late Pogues singer as a birthday gift was used in the 1916 Easter Rising

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A historic rifle gifted to Shane MacGowan has gone missing.

Widow Victoria Mary Clarke has appealed for help in tracing the Lee-Enfield 303 rifle which was used in the 1916 Easter Rising. Clarke has claimed that the birthday gift given to the late Pogues singer was “most likely stolen”.

Speaking on X, she said: “Shane’s 1916 rifle has gone missing, most likely been stolen. It was a birthday gift to ⁦@ShaneMacGowan from a dear musician friend and it was used in the GPO so it was historically significant.

“It was a Lienfield [sic] 303 and it has H Munn etched on it.” The Lee–Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century.