Pogues star Shane MacGowan out of hospital

MacGowan, pictured in 2014, has battled ill health for years

The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has been discharged from hospital for Christmas, his wife has said.

The Irish singer, 65, was diagnosed with encephalitis last year and has been treated at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

His wife Victoria Mary Clarke wrote on social media that they were "deeply and eternally grateful to all of the doctors and nurses and staff" at the hospital.

MacGowan fronted The Pogues from 1982 until their break-up in 2014. The band are best known for the Christmas hit song Fairytale of New York.

Since his hospital stay began his wife has been documenting his progress on social media.

She has also shared photos of visits from fellow musicians such as Pogues bandmates Spider Stacy and Terry Woods, Irish singers Damien Dempsey, Daniel O'Donnell and Imelda May, and Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie.

On 14 November she said he was "struggling" but three days later she posted that he was feeling much better.

Encephalitis is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes swollen.

MacGowan has had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol.

MacGowan and Kirsty McCall duetted on Fairytale of New York in the 1980s, a song that has been an annual favourite ever since

He formed the Irish punk band Pogue Mahone, later shortened to The Pogues, in 1982 and released seven studio albums.

In 1988 Kirsty MacColl collaborated with The Pogues for the Christmas song Fairytale of New York, written by MacGowan, which got to number two in the UK chart.

In 2018 he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at a 60th birthday party in Dublin's National Concert Hall.

A documentary about his life - Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan - was released in 2020.

He was close friends with Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor who died in July.