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Music

26th Jul 2023

Sinead O’Connor, acclaimed Irish singer and activist, dies aged 56

Patrick McCarry

‘Do you remember that sunny day, somewhere in London’

Irish singer and human rights activist Sinead O’Connor has died at the age of 56.

The acclaimed, and multi-award winning singer, from Dublin, released 10 studio albums over the course of her music career. Her song Nothing Compares 2 U, which was written for her by Prince, was named the number one world single by the Billboard Music Awards, in 1990.

Often outspoken on the topics of religion, equality and immigration, O’Connor made frequent appearances, over the years, on The Late Late Show. She was feted by worldwide music stars and collaborated with the likes of U2, Shane MacGowan and Massive Attack.

Sinead O'ConnorKurt Cobain of Nirvana (right) with wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain, and Sinead O’Connor (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)Sinead O'ConnorBroadcaster Gay Byrne (1934 – 2019) kisses musician Sinead O’Connor on the final episode of the Late Late Show, May 21, 1999. (Photo by Independent News and Media/Getty Images)

Sinead O’Connor lost a teenage son, in 2022

In a 2007 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Sinead O’Connor spoke of how she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had coped with that, her whole life. She also admitted to attempting suicide on her 33rd birthday.

Famously outspoken on religion, O’Connor once told Channel 4:

“Genuinely I don’t mean disrespect to Catholic people because I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the Holy Spirit, all of those, but I also believe in all of them, I don’t think it cares if you call it Fred or Daisy, you know? Religion is a smokescreen, it has everybody talking to the wall.”

RTÉ has already run a piece in remembrance of the 56-year-old, and her legacy:

Sinead O’Connor is survived by her three children. Her son, Shane, died last year aged 17.

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