Sinead O’Connor funeral: Mourners remember beloved singer in Ireland

Hundreds of people gathered in Ireland on Tuesday to remember singer Sinead O’Connor following her death last month.

Ahead of a private funeral, mourners gathered to pay their respects along the route of O’Connor’s funeral cortege. Family members had invited the public to remember the iconic artist in the coastal town of Bray, where she had lived for 15 years, The Guardian reported.

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Outside her former home, Montebello, fans applauded, threw flowers and sang “Nothing Compares 2 U,” according to The Irish Times. After the cortege reached the end of the Bray seafront, Irish radio stations played the song in unison in tribute, the newspaper reported.

“What can I say? Thank you Sinéad,” Gemma Byrne, who held a banner with three friends sharing her thanks, told The Guardian. The 47-year-old added, “We grew up with her. She said what we felt but didn’t have the courage to say.”

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Irish President Michael D. Higgins and his wife, Sabrina, were among those to pay their respects, as were musicians Bono and Bob Geldof, the Times reported.

“The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinéad O’Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people,” the president said Tuesday in a statement.

“The unique contribution of Sinéad involved the experience of a great vulnerability combined with a superb, exceptional level of creativity that she chose to deliver through her voice, her music and her songs.”

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O’Connor converted to Islam in 2018 and adopted the name Shuhada Sadaqat, Sky News reported. In a private ceremony before Tuesday’s procession, Shaykh Dr Umar al Qadri, the chief imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland, led the Muslim funeral prayer for O’Connor.

“The more she sang and spoke about her own pain, as well as about the pervasive sins in society that she witnessed, the more her voice and her words resonated with listeners and touched their hearts,” he said in a eulogy, according to Sky News.

“Sinead never stopped her search to know God fully, exemplifying a life marked with a deep communion with God. Gifted with a voice that moved a generation of young people, she could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance. I know that peoples of all faiths throughout the world will be praying for this beloved daughter of Ireland, among them will be countless Muslims praying for their sister in faith and humanity.”

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Sinead O'Connor NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 01: Photo of Sinead O'CONNOR (Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns) (Michel Linssen/Redferns via Getty Images)

Authorities continue to investigate O’Connor’s death. She was found unresponsive at her home in Herne Hill in south London on July 26 and police have said that her death does not appear to be suspicious, BBC News reported.

Last year, O’Connor mourned the loss of her 17-year-old son, Shane, who died by suicide, according to The Associated Press. She is survived by three children.

Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support via the Lifeline by dialing 988. For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website.

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