Sinéad O'Connor autopsy results may take 'several weeks'
No medical cause was given but Sinéad O'Connor's death is not being treated as suspicious. Picture: Collins
Vigils were held in Dublin and London as people continue to mourn the death of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor.
The iconic musician was found unresponsive in her home in south-east London on Wednesday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Last night, dozens of people gathered at the Wall of the Fame in Dublin to pay respects to the "beautiful soul" of O'Connor, while another event took place at the London Irish Centre in Camden. Further events will take place in the coming days.
In Dublin, the crowd sang two of O'Connor's most famous songs 'Black Boys On Mopeds' and 'Nothing Compares 2 U'.
Those gathered in Temple Bar spoke about the influence her music had on their lives, and called for her death to "light an absolute fire under all of us" to tackle how mental health and children are treated in Ireland.
One attendee said O'Connor was a "model and activist that I always look up to. I never got the opportunity to meet her in person but I would like to honour her beautiful soul today and hopefully she is in a better place and God bless her".
The portrait of O'Connor in Temple Bar was lit up, with flowers and photographs left at the foot of the wall which features other stars of the Irish music industry such as U2, Bob Geldof and Luke Kelly.
Text on a mural of O'Connor outside Temple Bar reads: "Sinéad you were right all along. We were wrong. So sorry."
The vigil heard a poem written in memory of O'Connor.
"She kicked down the barriers in her Doc Marten boots, bald-headed deliverer of unwanted truths," the speaker read.
"The industry wanted her to change who she was, so she shaved off her hair and broke unwritten laws.
"Truthful witness, fiery, fierce and bold to the core, goddess of 90s she bellowed her roar. The world wasn't ready for what she had to say, stifled by a church that hurts us to this day.
"Nothing compared to her and no-one came near, her voice was her weapon and her words are her spear.
"For Sinéad, our sister, was always ahead of her time, love and human compassion perhaps her only crime. She used her music to protest, to open our eyes, I hope the next generation will learn from her cries.
"She, a young woman, was what was needed back then, so let's rip up more pictures, expose the corruption of men and women who have lost their souls to greed. For they tried to bury Sinéad, and forgot she is a seed."
As tributes continue to pour in from artistic, musical and political figures from all over the world, the London Inner South Coroner's Court yesterday confirmed O'Connor's death is not being treated as suspicious, though no medical cause of death was given.
A statement on its website said a decision will be made at a later point whether to hold a formal inquest.
It reads: “The death of Sinéad O’Connor in Lambeth was notified to the coroner on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
“The decision whether an inquest will be needed will be decided when these results are known, and submissions have been heard from the family.
“If an inquest is to be opened, the date of the brief public hearing will be provided on our website.”
Metropolitan Police are preparing a file for the coroner. They are not treating the death as suspicious.
In a statement to the , a spokesperson said, “Police were called at 11:18hrs on Wednesday, 26 July, to reports of an unresponsive woman at a residential address in the SE24 area.
“Officers attended. A 56-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have been notified.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”
The singer’s devastated family confirmed the untimely passing of “our beloved Sinéad” in a statement on Wednesday evening.
An outpouring of grief and tributes has continued since the news of her death broke.
Yesterday evening, dozens of people attended a vigil at the Wall of Fame in Temple Bar in Dublin, with events also taking place in London. Further tributes are expected to take place in the coming days.
Tributes have also poured in from around the world following her death, with musicians, artists, and politicians sharing how much she meant to them.
Kate Bush wrote on her website: "It's like a light has gone out, hasn't it? A beacon on a high mountain.
"Sinéad didn't just move us with her incredibly emotive voice, she stood up with it.
On Twitter, The Pogues singer Shane MacGowan said: “Sinéad, I love you and hope you are at peace."
Damien Dempsey, Annie Lennox, Russell Crowe, and Imelda May were among the others to post tributes.
Filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson, who released a documentary about O'Connor in 2022, said she was "devastated" after hearing of the singer's death, saying: "We've lost such a special, funny, and magnificent human being.
"Her music and her activism touched people deeply in nearly every country in the world," she said.
"She was not only ahead of her time, but courageous and unwavering.
"Her authenticity, her boldness, and her distilled vision about what mattered most cut through the noise and reached people, particularly people with hearts that were open."
O'Connor was working on new music in recent months, with an album of work almost completed, according to Irish producer David Holmes. He said on Instagram that there was just "one track to record" to finish the album.
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