POP star Ed Sheeran's Irish grandmother, who inspired his 2017 Top 20 hit Nancy Mulligan, has died.
Anne Mary Sheeran, née Mulligan, who was known as 'Nancy' and hailed from Gorey in Co Wexford, passed away on April 25 at Castle Gardens Nursing Home in Enniscorthy. She was 98.
The Halifax-born singer/songwriter's single Nancy Mulligan, a collaboration with top Irish trad group Beoga included on the deluxe edition of his chart-topping 2017 album Divide, was inspired by the story of how Nancy married Ed's grandfather William, a Protestant dentist from the north.
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"They got engaged and no one turned up at their wedding," Sheeran explained in a 2017 interview with Zane Lowe.
"He stole all the gold teeth in his dental surgery and melted them down into a wedding ring, and they wore borrowed clothes to get married, and just basically have this kind of Romeo and Juliet romance, which is like the most romantic thing.
"So I thought I'd write a song about it and make it a jig."
The song reached number three in the Irish singles chart and number 13 in the UK Top 40 when it was released in March 2017.
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In the family's death notice, Mrs Sheeran was remembered as “beloved wife of the late Bill and loving mother of Jim, Bill, Peter, Chris, John, MaryAnne, Bridget and the late Sally and sister of the late Thomas, Jim, May and Peggy.
It added that her loss is “deeply regretted by her loving sons, daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, niece, nephews, relatives, friends and neighbours”.
Wexfordlocal.com reports that Mrs Sheeran "was well-known and held in high esteem throughout the community and news of her passing has caused sadness and great loss amongst family, friends and neighbours over a wide area."
She will be laid to rest on Wednesday after 11am funeral mass in St Patrick’s Church, Monaseed, Gorey.
