Thousands pay tribute to Sinéad O'Connor as private funeral held in Ireland

Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Thousands of mourners lined the streets of the coastal town of Bray, Ireland, for singer Sinéad O'Connor's funeral procession Tuesday.

O'Connor, who died in London on July 26 at age 56, lived in Bray for 15 years before selling her house there in 2021.

"Sinead loved living in Bray and the people in it," her family said in a statement to RTE. "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."

Fans left tributes to O'Connor outside of her former home.

Irish President Michael D Higgins attended the private funeral service and spoke of the "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer's creativity, vulnerability and heroism in a statement.

"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," Higgins said.

"The unique contribution of Sinéad 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."

Also attending the private funeral service were Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland; Irish songwriter Bob Geldof; and U2 bandmates Bono and the Edge, The Irish Times reported.

Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri led Muslim funeral prayers.

"The more she sang and spoke about her own pain, as well as about the pervasive sins in society that she witnessed, the more her voice and her words resonated with listeners and touched their hearts," he said in a prepared eulogy.

"I know that peoples of all faiths throughout the world will be praying for this beloved daughter of Ireland, among them will be countless Muslims praying for their sister in faith and humanity."

O'Connor was found unresponsive in a London residence on July 26, and her family confirmed her death.

She was public about her struggles with mental health, disclosing diagnoses of bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. She was hospitalized last year after the death of her son, Shane Lunny, who died by suicide at age 17.

A book of condolences was opened to the public in Dublin, where fans wrote messages to O'Connor following her death.

"Many, many times Sinéad was full of terrible loneliness and a terrible despair," Geldof said, according to The Independent. "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."

O'Connor's career began in the 1980s, with her first of 10 albums, The Lion and the Cobra, released in 1987 and winning a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

The hit single "Nothing Compares 2 U" was featured on her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, which won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.

O'Connor boycotted the Grammys in 1991 and drew controversy for tearing up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1992 in protest of the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church.