Throngs of fans gathered in Sinéad O’Connor’s former hometown of Bray, Ireland, to bid farewell to the gifted singer during her funeral procession. A vintage VW camper van, playing Bob Marley’s “Natural Mystic,” led the slow-moving hearse through a dense crowd of admirers along the waterfront. Fans tossed roses and flowers onto the hearse in tribute to O’Connor.
Outside O’Connor’s former home, a group waited for over an hour singing her songs and clapped as the cortege approached. Mourners snapped photos of the hearse, adorned with blue hydrangeas and pink roses. Ruth O’Shea, who came with her two daughters, expressed the significance of O’Connor in her life, describing her as rebellious, empowering, and brilliant.
Sinéad O’Connor, age 56, was found unresponsive at her London home on July 26. Her cause of death has not been shared, but police confirmed it was not suspicious. O’Connor’s family invited the public to pay their respects during the funeral procession to recognize the outpouring of love she received from the people of Wicklow and beyond.
Fans left handwritten notes and flowers at the entrance of her former home, thanking her for sharing her voice, music, and expressing support for causes such as welcoming refugees. O’Connor, known for her shaved head and extraordinary emotional range, rose to international fame with her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990.
She was an early critic of the Roman Catholic Church and made headlines in 1992 for tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live.” O’Connor was open about her struggles with mental illness and publicly mourned the loss of her teenage son to suicide last year. Celebrities and ordinary people alike have paid tribute to her since her passing.
Throngs of Fans Bid Farewell to Sinéad O’Connor in Ireland
