Sinead O’Connor’s final post on social media before her sudden death was a heartbreaking tribute to her late son.
It was reported on Wednesday (July 26) that O’Connor - who adopted the name Shuhada' Sadaqat after converting to Islam in 2018 - sadly passed away at the age of 56.
The Irish singer’s family confirmed the devastating news in a statement to the BBC which read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."
The musician's cause of death had not been disclosed at the time of writing.
O’Connor was known globally for her rendition of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' in 1990, as the song went on to top the Billboard Music Awards as the world's number-one single in 1990. In 1991, she was named Artist of the Year by Rolling Stone and took home the Brit Award for international female solo artist.
During her career, she released ten studio albums that deeply resonated with her fans worldwide, the second of which, 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got sold more than seven million copies.
The singer was as well-known for her fierce activism as she was for her music. As she faced significant hardship from an early age, she opened up about suffering physical abuse - as vividly portrayed in her song 'Fire on Babylon' - and became a powerful advocate for children who suffered abuse.
O’Connor was also very open about her struggles with mental health as in 2007 she revealed on The Oprah Winfrey Show that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years prior. She also sadly disclosed that she had attempted to take her life on her 33rd birthday in 1999.
In addition to this, O'Connor penned in a 2012 update on her website that she was "very unwell" due to mental health problems she had been experiencing at the end of 2011. Later, in 2014, she said in The Mirror that she was not actually bipolar, attributing her mental health challenges to a lack of hormone-replacement therapy after undergoing a hysterectomy.
Last year was particularly difficult for the 'This Is The Day' singer as her son Shane Lunny, 17, tragically took his own life in January 2022 after escaping from hospital while on suicide watch. Following the tragedy, O'Connor was admitted to the hospital after she shared her suicidal ideations on social media.
At the time, O’Connor fiercely criticized the Irish health service HSE, the child and family agency Tusla, and the Irish state overall.
Less than two weeks before news of the singer’s own death emerged on Wednesday, O’Connor shared heart-wrenching tweets about her late son on the social media platform.
"Been living as undead night creature since," she wrote along with a photo of her hugging Lunny. "He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him."
O’Connor also posted a series of Spotify links to sad songs, including one she dedicated to ‘all mothers of suicided children’. She also posted links to 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart' by Al Green, as well as Curtis Mayfield’s 'Here But I’m Gone' and 'No One Knows About A Good Thing'.
In 2022, O’Connor was honored with the inaugural award for Classic Irish Album at the RTÉ Choice Music Awards in March.
As she received the award for her album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, she dedicated it to "each and every member of Ireland’s refugee community", stating: "You’re very welcome in Ireland. I love you very much and I wish you happiness."
Her influence extended beyond her music as she had fervent stances on religion, critiques which were often aimed at Ireland's powerful Catholic church. One notable moment of her advocacy was when she stirred international outrage in 1992 after ripping up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in protest against child sexual abuse.
Her actions resulted in her being banned for life by broadcaster NBC and protests against her in the US, which saw copies of her records destroyed in New York's Times Square.
In her 2021 memoir Rememberings, the musician recalled the controversial moment and said: "Everyone wants a pop star, see? But I am a protest singer. I just had stuff to get off my chest. I had no desire for fame," according to The Independent.
O’Connor is survived by her three living children, Jake Reynolds, Roisin Waters, and Yeshua Bonadio.
Our thoughts are with O'Connor's loved ones at this time.
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