People to gather at Sinead O’Connor’s former home for ‘last goodbye’
By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA
Fans are expected to line a coastal road to bid farewell to Sinead O’Connor ahead of her funeral on Tuesday.
The acclaimed singer’s family have asked people who wish to say a “last goodbye” to stand along Bray seafront in Wicklow as the cortege passes by before a private burial.
The procession is expected to start at 10.30am at the Harbour Bar end of the Strand Road and will continue past by her former home, Montebello, where she lived for 15 years.
Since her death on July 26th, people have been leaving flowers and paying their respects at the house, which the singer sold in 2021 and which now lies empty.
“Sinead loved living in Bray and the people in it,” a statement issued by her family 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 Irish Grammy-winning singer was found unresponsive by police at her south-east London home, aged 56.
A host of tributes have flooded in from fans and famous artists across the world in response to her death, including Russell Crowe, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper and Bob Geldof.
Several gatherings were 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.
O’Connor, who was born in Dublin in December 1966, released her first album The Lion And The Cobra in 1987.
Her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, followed in 1990, which contained the hit single Nothing Compares 2 U, which saw O’Connor top the charts in countries around the world.
The track earned her multiple Grammy Award nominations including for the prestigious record of the year category, as well as best female pop vocal performance and best music video.
In 1991, she was named artist of the year by Rolling Stone Magazine and took home the Brit Award for international female solo artist.
She released a further eight studio albums, the latest being 2014’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss.
In 2018, O’Connor announced that she had converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat.
Following her death, her music management company 67 Management said she had been finishing a new album, reviewing tour dates for next year and was also considering “opportunities” around a movie of her book.
O’Connor’s death is not being treated as suspicious by authorities. A London coroner did not find a medical cause of death and suggested that the post-mortem examination results may take several weeks.
