ANDREW RANKEN, WHO was a founding member of The Pogues, has died at the age of 72.
In a statement today, The Pogues described him as the “heartbeat” of the band.
Andrew ‘The Clobberer’ Ranken.
13 November 1953 – 10 February 2026 pic.twitter.com/kgzaVnNDHg
— The Pogues (@poguesofficial) February 11, 2026
Ranken was a drummer and performed on some of the band’s best-known songs, such as Fairytale of New York.
“Andrew, thank you for everything, for your friendship, your wit and your generosity of spirit, and of course for the music, forever a true friend and brother,” said the statement from The Pogues.
Nicknamed “The Clobberer”, Ranken also played on some of their most critically acclaimed albums such as Red Roses For Me (1984), Rum Sodomy And The Lash (1985) and If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1988).
He also provided vocals for the group, and sang lead on the band’s song Worms, which is the final track on If I Should Fall From Grace With God.
He also played on the albums Peace And Love (1989), Hell’s Ditch (1990), Waiting For Herb (1993), and Pogue Mahone (1996).
The band – which in its best-known incarnation featured a core group made up of late singer Shane MacGowan, bassist Cait O’Riordan, singer and tin whistle player Spider Stacy, banjo player Jem Finer, accordion player James Fearnley, and Ranken – broke up in 1996.
They reformed in 2001 and Ranken performed with the band until their second split in 2014.
MacGowan died in November 2023, and the band has performed with a line-up of Stacy, Finer and Fearnley since 2024, performing Red Roses For Me and Rum Sodomy And The Lash in full to celebrate their 40th anniversaries.
-With additional reporting from Press Association
