Kirsty MacColl was killed in a horrific speedboat accident in 2000, just days before Christmas, and now her son Louis Lillywhite has spoken out about the tragedy
Its annual reappearance on the radio and in stores often heralds the start of the festive season. However, for Louis Lillywhite, the Christmas classic Fairytale of New York carries a deeper significance.
He was only 14 when his mother, Kirsty MacColl, who performed the hit duet with Pogues frontman Shane McGowan, tragically died in a devastating speedboat accident.
Kirsty’s life was abruptly ended just a week before Christmas when she was struck by a high-speed boat off the Mexican coast on December 18, 2000, as she emerged from a scuba dive. At 41, she was at the height of her career, having just released her critically acclaimed album, Tropical Brainstorm.
Louis and his older brother Jamie, then 15, were swimming with their mother when the speedboat trespassed into the protected marine area over the reef they had just explored and crashed into them. Jamie sustained minor injuries when his oxygen tank was grazed, but their cherished mother was killed instantly after being hit by the boat’s propeller.
A distressing coroner’s report disclosed that Kirsty had suffered severe head and chest injuries, almost severing her left leg and part of her chest.
Now, as the 25th anniversary of Kirsty’s death looms, with unresolved questions about the circumstances and accountability for the tragedy – questions that may now never be answered – Louis has movingly spoken about his mother to the Express.
This comes as his father, Kirsty’s former husband and record producer Steve Lilywhite, unveils a new live mix of Fairytale of New York. Now 39 and a previous restaurant owner residing in London, Louis reflects: “It was such a traumatic thing and a lot of what happened is still a blur to me.
“What I can say is it was really grim. I can’t remember the exact details of that trip to Mexico but I can remember being in the water and thinking, ‘Where’s Jamie?’ He and I have spoken about it from time to time and I still have flashbacks. It was and is so graphic. We could only have been in the water a few minutes afterwards before they got us out. I don’t really remember too much.”
After years of internalising his pain, Louis recently sought therapy which he says has aided him in better understanding and coping with the horrific events of that day.
“When you are a 14-year-old boy, you don’t want to talk to a stranger about the worst thing that has happened to you,” he continues. “Later on though my 20s, I was seeing patterns of behaviour in myself and decided I should try it. I have had a lot of therapy since and that has helped.”
In addition to grappling with his mother’s tragic passing, Louis expresses his desire to overcome his fears surrounding the sea.
“I really struggled with swimming or going on boats or diving but I have found therapy very useful for that. I have even been snorkelling again and driven a boat,” he explains. “Mum really loved the sea and she would have been gutted if I was missing out on a beautiful thing.”
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