People encouraged to line Bray seafront ahead of Sinéad O'Connor's funeral
Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA
The funeral of the late singer Sinéad O’Connor is to be held on Tuesday, with people being invited to line a Co Wicklow seafront where she used to live as a “last goodbye”.
The cortege is to travel along the seafront in Bray, starting at the Harbour Bar and continuing to the other end of the Strand Road, before continuing on to a private burial.
It will pass by her former home on the Strand Road, Montebello, where she lived for 15 years and where people have been leaving flowers since her death.
The Grammy-winning singer, aged 56, was found unresponsive by police at her south-east London home on July 26th.
The news of her death sparked a host of tributes from fans and famous artists from across the world, including Russell Crowe, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper and Bob Geldof.
Several gatherings have also been held in the days since O’Connor’s death in Dublin, Belfast and London, where members of the public paid tribute to her legacy as a musician and activist.
A statement issued on Sunday on behalf of O’Connor’s family encouraged people to line Bray’s seafront from 10.30am for a “last goodbye” to the singer.
“Sinéad loved living in Bray and the people in it,” the statement said.
“With this procession, her family would like to acknowledge the outpouring of love for her from the people of Co Wicklow and beyond, since she left last week to go to another place.
“The Gardaí have asked that people gather, if they would like to say a last goodbye to the singer, from 10.30am on Tuesday along the Bray seafront.”
O’Connor, who was propelled to international stardom in 1990 with her version of the hit Nothing Compares 2 U, was also known for taking fierce stances on social and political issues such as the child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.
Following her death, her music management company, 67 Management, revealed she had been finishing a new album, reviewing tour dates for next year and was also considering “opportunities” around a movie of her book before her death.
