Stars certainly aligned for the 60th birthday party of Pogues’ singer and songwriter at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, including Ireland's President, Sinead O'Connor and more.

MacGowan joined the Pogues in 1982 and the single “Fairytale of New York” made him a global iconic and Irish music royalty. And for all that, perhaps the most famous guest of them all, President of Ireland Michael D Higgins presented MacGowan with a lifetime achievement awards to cheers and applause.

The Pogues' front man Shane MacGowan.

The Pogues' front man Shane MacGowan.

Among those applauding were Bono, Johnny Depp, Sinéad O’Connor, trad queen Sharon Shannon, Cait O’Riordain,  Steve Wickham of the Waterboys and Carl Barat from the Libertines. And what’s a party full to the brim of musicians without a good sing-along?

Despite it being well into January there was of course rendition of Fairytale of New York.

Depp and Bono took to the stage to perform Rainy Night in Soho and Sinéad O’Connor appeared from seemingly nowhere to sing You’re The One.

Tributes were paid to Limerick musician Dolores O'Riordan who passed away suddenly at the age of 46.

Read More: Dolores O’Riordan seemed “full of life” just hours before she was found

To close the night a rendition of Happy Birthday was sung. In the words of Irish Times reporter Patrick Freyne, “all his guests surround him and if a bomb went off that would be it for the Irish music scene.”