**Content warning: Contains references to suicide.**
Sinéad O'Connor died yesterday (26 July) at the age of 56, as confirmed by her family.
The legendary Irish singer reached global fame with ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ (written by Prince) back in 1990.
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The statement from her family 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."
O’Connor had four children: Jake Reynolds, Roisin Walters, Shane Lunny and Yeshua Bonadio.
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She shared Shane with musician Donal Lunny, but the 17-year-old tragically died in January 2022.
He went missing for two days before being found to have ended his own life.
In a since-deleted post, she announced Shane’s passing on Twitter, writing: “My beautiful son, Nevi'im Nesta Ali Shane O'Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God.
“May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace."
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The musician then went on to make a sad vow; to not sing again.
She added: “Just to say, suggestions there’ll be any performances this year or next year or ever again are erroneous.
“There will never be anything to sing about again.”
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O’Connor’s most recent social media posts, which turned out to be last, were in tribute to her late son.
On 17 July, she shared a sweet image of Shane and her hugging. With a string of crying emojis, she wrote:
“#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022.
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"Been living as undead night creature since. . 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 included a link to the ‘Great Tibetan Compassion Mantra’ with her post dedicated to ‘all mothers of suicided children’.
The cause of O’Connor’s death has not yet been confirmed to the public.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Celebrity, Music, Social media, Mental Health, Real Life
Jess Battison