Unravelling Shane MacGowan

We were commissioned to create the concept and design for a new Shane MacGowan trail in North Tipperary — a project that required sensitivity, imagination and a deep connection to the artist’s life. Inspired by Shane’s own self-portrait, we developed the title “Unravelling – The Shane MacGowan Tour”, a nod to both the layers of his creativity and the landscapes and memories that shaped him.

Working closely with Shane’s sister Siobhán MacGowan and his wife Victoria Mary Clarke, we were given access to personal family photographs, handwritten sketches and rare visual material. These intimate elements form the backbone of the trail design, appearing throughout the illustrated map and location panels — from childhood drawings and notes to evocative images of places central to songs like The Broad Majestic Shannon, highlighted in the map’s descriptions and imagery on the trail layout .

The final design blends storytelling, music history and place, guiding visitors through pubs, lanes, lakeshores and family landmarks that shaped Shane’s world. The trail is both a celebration and a quiet reflection — a way for fans to walk through the lyrical landscape of one of Ireland’s most singular voices.