Sinead O’Connor is laid to rest in Muslim burial
More than 3,000 people gathered in her home town to mourn the star with many sobbing while singing ‘Nothing Compares to U’ in a moving final farewell following her sudden death in London last month aged 56.
The family of the singer, who died aged 56 last month, held a private memorial service this morning attended by the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins. Stars including Bono, the Edge and Bob Geldof were also there. Sinead’s eulogy said she ‘suffered more than her share of hardship and adversity’. Imam Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri added:
‘Gifted with a voice that moved a generation of young people, she could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance. Sinead’s voice carried with it an undertone of hope, of finding one’s way home. The Irish people have long found solace in song from the sufferings of this lower abode, and Sinead was no exception, and in sharing that solace, she brought joy to countless people the world over.’ The acclaimed singer’s family had asked people who wished to say a ‘last goodbye’ to stand along Bray seafront in Co Wicklow as the cortege passed by this lunchtime, to the sound of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Natural Mystic.
A Volkswagen camper led the hearse carrying her on her final journey with mourners throwing flowers on to the roof. Blue hydrangeas and roses covered and surrounded the coffin. It then stopped outside her former home for several minutes so mourners could pay their respects. Many stepped into the road to touch the vehicle.
Sinead, a mother-of-four survived by her three living children, 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 with a traditional Muslim burial following her conversion in 2018.
