More than 3,000 people have lined the streets of Bray to mourn Sinead O’Connor today – with many sobbing while singing ‘Nothing Compares to U’ in a moving final farewell to the tragic star ahead of a Muslim burial this afternoon.
The family of the singer, who died aged 56 last month, held a private funeral for the star this morning attended by the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins.
The acclaimed singer’s family asked people who wished to say a ‘last goodbye’ to stand along Bray seafront in Co Wicklow as the cortege passes by before a private burial. She was found dead in her penthouse flat in Herne Hill on July 26 – the cause of death has not yet been revealed – but she will be laid to rest in her beloved Ireland.
A Volkswagen camper decorated with flowers and Pride flags arrived outside the former home of Sinead. It was playing some of her songs from speakers mounted on the roof for the crowds gathered to mourn her passing.
Fans sang along to her song ‘Nothing Compares to U’ and some wiped away tears when the song ‘Scarlet Ribbons’ which has lyrics about ‘living to a hundred’ was relayed. The crowd of broke into applause as each song ended.
Her friend Liam O’Maonlai, the lead singer of the band, Hothouse Flowers, was among those who arrived at Sinead’s former home. He said of the huge crowds: ‘I think it’s love is why people are outside the house today. They loved her. I admired her.’
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chief Imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland, told MailOnline that Sinead was to have a Muslim burial on accordance with her conversion to the religion, referring to her with her adopted name Shuhada Sadaqat.
Irish Grammy-winning singer Sinead O’Connor was found unresponsive by police at her south-east London home, aged 56
Fans seen outside the former home of Sinead O’Connor in Bray
Friends and fans, many of them crying, sang her songs
Sinead’s former home is at the centre of the mourning today
Tears for Sinead as Ireland and the world say goodbye to her today
Two crying women hold eachother ahead of the funeral procession
A VW camper with pride flags and speakers playing her songs pulls up outside Sinead’s former home
Two children in pink look at tributes
Fans outside the former home of Sinead O’Connor in Bray
Tears for Sinead in Bray today
Fans pack the street outside the former home of Sinead O’Connor in Bray
A woman holds flowers as fans gather outside late Irish singer Sinead O’Connor’s former home
Many cried, but others came to celebrate her life
A giant installation honouring the late musician and activist Sinéad O’Connor was unveiled on Bray Head, Co Wicklow, Ireland on Sunday
He later tweeted this morning: ‘Today, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Muslim funeral prayer for the daughter of Ireland, Sinéad O’Connor aka Shuhada Sadaqat.
‘It is an honour to be part of this occasion, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the family for recognising and embracing her Muslim identity.’
Sara Mohamed said she had travelled to Bray to pay her respects to Sinead O’Connor.
‘(I’m) a massive fan of Sinead and she’ll be missed. She was an Irish legend.
‘As an Irish Muslim, I felt that I should be here on behalf of my community to pay my respects to the Irish legend she was.
‘I just think she was massively outspoken and she spoke for minorities who didn’t have a voice. And that’s very admirable and very brave.’
Veronica Kelly travelled from Shannon at 2am and arrived in Bray at dawn to place flowers and said: ‘We will never see a woman in Ireland like Sinead again. Sinead gave a voice to the voiceless. She wasn’t afraid to speak out, and she stood up for black lives, gay rights and refugees.
‘This is a very sad day. She was an incredible woman. I had met and she just seemed like an ordinary person. But she was far from that. We will miss her greatly.’
Office worker Paula Cairns,51, said: ‘On top of all her wonderful achievements in standing up for the underdog, she was also a great musician.
‘We have lost a leading Irish light whose voice was known around the world.’
Daultach Magehsonnbhairr, 18, said: ‘Even though I’m a teenager, I know what Sinead meant to Ireland. We will all be enjoying her music for many years to come.’
Police have been forced to close roads in Bray today
Sinead O’Connor fans Pamela Moore (left) and Peter Gannon stand outside the former home of the late singer
A man holds a guitar as fans gather to mourn the singer
Many people were crying as they heard her songs
Liam O’Maonlai sang with her at London’s Royal Festival Hall, shortly after she had been booed off stage at Madison Square Gardens for ripping up a picture of The Pope on American TV in 1992.
He said: ‘. She had not been put off by what happened in New York.
‘There are people who have a certain mastery in their art, as Sinead was one of those.
‘Whenever she walked into a room, she was the centre of it with the way she dressed, and the way she spoke.
‘She had incredible strength, and she showed that when she tried to sing her song, ‘I believe in you’ in Madison Square Garden and was booed.
‘Instead of walking off she turned to the song ‘War’ which was written by Haile Selassie and talks about peace.
‘It was an honour to perform with her. I just hope that she died with a smile on her face.’
Sinead fan Mary Clarke,52, from Galway said: ‘she spoke to me in so many ways about the difficulties of grown-up in Ireland.
‘This was all before social media. She just said amazing things I wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. How do you spoke for a lot of people of my age which is similar to her generation. She is going to be missed’
Her daughter Lucy,14, said: ‘I will always listen to music. I’ve been told a lot about how incredible she was by my mother.’
Babara O’Mera of the Moonmna womens’ group of Dublin said: ‘She inspired a lot of women like me. She was very brave and not afraid to be outspoken.’
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The scene outside Sinead O’Connor’s home in Bray ahead of her funeral
A pink chair has been placed outside the pink-framed conservatory of the house, located on the seafront
The streets lined for Sinead O’Connor’s funeral
The acclaimed singer’s family have asked people who wish to say a ‘last goodbye’ to stand along Bray seafront in Co Wicklow as the cortege passes by before a private burial
A mourner pays her respects outside the former home of Sinead O’Connor in Bray
A handmade poster praising and mourning Sinead’s passing
A note on the wall outside the singer’s former home in Bray – thanking her for her music
Hothouse Flowers lead singer Liam O’Maonlai pays his respect outside the former home of Sinead O’Connor
A young woman puts her arm around a mourning parent
Flowers topped with the Irish flag left for Sinead
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.
One note left there said: ‘You are forever in my heart.’
A pink chair was placed outside the pink-framed conservatory of the house, located on the seafront, with pink flowers and a photo of the singer placed at the base of the chair.
One sign left at the wall of the property listed causes that the singer had expressed support for, including welcoming refugees: ‘Where words fail, music speaks.’
A neighbour was also seen putting candles on the wall that separated the two properties.
Since her death on July 26, 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.
Late singer Sinead O’Connor pictured outside her home of 15 years in county Wicklow
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.
The cleric who presided over her conversion to Islam Umar Al-Qadri, the chief Imam of Ireland, yesterday posted a message on his Facebook page, describing her as a ‘beacon of truth and exemplar of Islam’s beautiful guideance.’
He said: ‘She has returned to her creator. Her conversion to Islam bore witness to the transcendent power of faith, reaching across cultural divides, tearing down walls of misunderstanding and prejudice.
‘Sister Shuhada’s journey underlined that embracing Islam is not merely a change of name or attire, but a quest for personal truth, acceptance of one’s imperfections, and submission to the Divine.
‘This path, filled with both petals and thorns, is one we must tread with empathy and humility.
Imam Al-Qadri, who said he had been Sinead’s ‘spiritual guide’, added: ‘May God envelope our sister Shuhada in his Loving Mercy, forgive her shortcomings and grant her a place in the highest of heavens.
‘May He comfort her loved ones in this difficult time, and guide us all to live lives reflecting the true essence of Islam.’
A photo of Sinead O’Connor at the Mansion House in Dublin as a book of condolence has been opened following her death
In 2018, O’Connor announced that she had converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat
He appealed for Muslims to hold prayers at 11am tomorrow to coincide with her private burial.
‘We can express our respect, love, and solidarity for our departed sister, mirroring the values she tirelessly championed.’
On Sunday, a tribute to Sinead was unveiled on Bray Head in northern County Wicklow, Ireland, close to where she lived.
Just a short distance from Sinead’s home on Strand Road, a sign reading ‘ÉIRE SINÉAD,’ along with a white heart was placed close to the World War Two ‘ÉIRE’ landmark.
The letters of the moving sign are 30ft tall each and the tribute was the brainchild of bosses of The Tenth Man, in association with mural specialists, Mack Signs.
Executive creative director of Tenth Man, Richard Seabrooke said: ‘So much has been said about Sinéad since her recent passing, I’m not sure what is left to say.
‘We just wanted to take the opportunity to mark the moment with a bold statement that symbolises what she meant to this little country of ours.’
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.
