Sinead O’Connor’s funeral as it happened: Bono and Bob Geldof among mourners at private service
Fans of the ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ singer have lined the streets for procession along the seafront in Bray, Co Wicklow
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Fans lined the streets of Bray, Co Wicklow, ahead of Sinead O’Connor’s funeral on Tuesday 8 August.
The Irish singer’s funeral procession passed through the seafront in the town where O’Connor lived for 15 years. Plans for her funeral were shared by her family, in a statement issued to Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTE.
Ahead of the funeral, fans packed out the Strand Road, leaving emotional notes of tribute and flowers for the singer by her former home.
After the public paid their respects, O’Connor was buried in a private service attended by close friends and family.
On Sunday (6 August), a large tribute to O’Connor appeared on a hillside in Bray, reading “ÉIRE SINÉAD” with a heart emoji between the two words, the word “Eire” being the Irish name for Ireland.
“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,” Richard Seabrooke, executive creative director of The Tenth Man, told CNN in a statement.
Find out how the funeral unfolded below.
Delivering the eulogy, Imam Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri said: “Just as Sinead O’Connor brought diverse souls together through her art, so have you orchestrated a symphony of unity during her final journey.
“Your noble gesture has transcended boundaries and connected strangers, echoing the very essence of Sinead‘s legacy.”
He continued: “In this shared moment of remembrance and prayer, we find ourselves united in a tapestry of love, compassion, and reverence.
“May this ceremony be a testament to the enduring power of humanity’s collective spirit, as we bid farewell to a remarkable soul who touched us all.”
Huge crowds gather as funeral procession moves through Bray
The size of the crowds coming to pay their respects can be seen in the pictures below.
Bob Geldof and U2 musician Bono are understood to be among the mourners at O’Connor’s private funeral.
Bob Geldof has been pictured riding in a taxi as part of the funeral cortege for Sinead O'Connor ahead of her funeral.
Speaking ahead of the funeral, Geldof recalled his last conversations with O’Connor.
“Many, many times Sinead was full of a terrible loneliness and a terrible despair,” he said. “She was a very good friend of mine.
“We were talking right up to a couple of weeks ago. Some of her texts were laden with desperation and despair and some were ecstatically happy. She was like that.”
Sinead O’Connor’s funeral procession was attended by emotional fans who left notes and flowers for the singer.
Fans leave heartfelt messages for Sinead O’Connor in book of condolence
Fans of Sinead O’Connor flocked to write heartfelt messages in a new book of condolences in Dublin, following the singer‘s death.
The book of condolences was opened to the public at The Mansion House in Dublin, which saw members of the public come in droves to write a message to the singer.
Fans of Sinead O’Connor flocked to write heartfelt messages in a new book of condolences in Dublin, following the singer’s death. The book of condolences was opened to the public at The Mansion House in Dublin, which saw members of the public come in droves to write a message to the singer. People took turns writing messages. The video shows a sole photograph of her displayed on a table, with a lit candle next to the book.
Sinead O’Connor’s funeral details revealed as mourners encouraged to line Bray seafront
The funeral of the late singer Sinead O’Connor was held on Tuesday, with people being invited to line a Co Wicklow seafront where she used to live as a “last goodbye”.
The cortege travelled 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 passed 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.
Read more:
Cortege is to travel past singer’s former home in Bray, before a private burial on Tuesday
President of Ireland in attendance at Sinead O’Connor’s funeral
The president of Ireland issued a statement saying he is attending the private funeral service for Sinead O’Connor.
Michael D Higgins said: “The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinead O’Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people.
“The unique contribution of Sinead involved the experience of a great vulnerability combined with a superb, exceptional level of creativity that she chose to deliver through her voice, her music and her songs.”
Higgins continued: “The expression of both, without making any attempt to reduce the one for the sake of the other, made her contribution unique – phenomenal in music terms, but of immense heroism.
“However, achieving this came from the one heart and the one body and the one life, which extracted an incredible pain, perhaps one too much to bear. That is why all those who are seeking to make a fist of their life, combining its different dimensions in their own way, can feel so free to express their grief at her loss.”
Reporting by Press Association.
Fans have left a number of emotion-packed notes to O’Connor near her house.
One reads: “Thanks for your short, special life. Gone too soon. Give your lovely son Shane a hug for me in heaven. Have a nice long rest with Shane.”
O’Connor’s son Shane died by suicide in January 2022 aged 17.
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