In a break from all things Broadway, here are The Sweptaways and Anders Wendin with a highly watchable Swedish version of They Don’t Know – this was done about 5 years ago, but merits a revival. Please raise a festive glass for Kirsty!

4 Schools 1 Language, as the song is performed in ISL by students from St. Dominic’s College, St. Declan’s College, St. Mary’s School for Deaf Girls & St. Joseph’s School for Deaf Boys, Dublin 7.

Merry Christmas!

It’s Fairy Tale of New York (with Randy Weasel and Kooei Goose). Cheers!

Something for your stocking. DMC does Fairytale of New York, to get you in the mood.

Kirsty MacColl and Shane MacGowan performing Fairytale of New York on the Jack Docherty Show on Irish TV in 1997.

The song has stalled at No. 11 in the UK Christmas Chart (it was actually lower in the mid week interim charts) and will presumably fade away next week.

Meanwhile the Irish Mirror spoke to Jean MacColl this week, and their piece is here. They also spoke to Shane MacGowan.

Unfortunately the film footage which was shot at October’s Kirstyfest, which was expected to be part of a documentary on Saturday 20th December, has not made the broadcast cut. If you were there and were looking forward to watching yourself in the choir, the producers pass on their thanks and best wishes for the new year, and are sorry that there wasn’t enough room to use the coverage. Thanks to Barry for the update. As he says, “Looks like our ’15 Minutes’ doesn’t start just yet!”

Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues performing Fairytale of New York, all still shiny and new, at the Town and Country Club in London at the St Patrick’s night concert in London. Guinness all round!

Hay un ángel corriendo alrededor de esta casa.

Fourteen years ago today Kirsty MacColl died in Mexico. Her songs are still being sung, recorded, uploaded and cherished. Our lives are still enriched from her being here.

Kirsty ¡Viva

Kirsty longa ao vivo!

It’s Stephen Brennan with a moment of calm amidst all the madness.

Fairytale of New York is now sitting at No.11 in the UK singles chart – it’s highest placing since 2006! Can it go higher? Still a chart to come before Christmas Day.

The Independent reports that the arrival of digital streaming could yet propel Fairytale to the top. For the first time the songs that people are actually listening to count towards the chart, which now includes data from streaming services including Spotify and Deezer alongside download and CD sales.

The change means that each time Fairytale is streamed on someone’s festive playlist or played through Spotify as the soundtrack to an office Christmas party it counts towards its chart placing. Currently 100 streams count as the equivalent to one download or physical single, so streaming of hit songs on phones and tablets more than a million times a week can make all the difference. An Official Charts Company (OCC) spokesman said: “Fairytale has seen a significant boost this year thanks to streaming. The song streamed 552,000 times last week.” Which would seem to equate to over 5 thousand “sales”.

Time to get listening people!