Magdalene laundry and mother and baby home survivors to honour Sinéad O’Connor in Bray

Magdalene laundry survivor Diane Croghan, right, pictured in 2013 with Mary Smith and Marina Gambold. Ms Croghan said on Sunday she will be at Sinéad O'Connor's funeral because of 'the good work she did not letting the State and Church get away with it all'. Picture: Julien Behal/PA

A number of former foster children and survivors of mother and baby homes will form a guard of honour on the Bray seafront for Sinéad O’Connor’s funeral because “she spoke up for us”, they said.

The singer’s family has invited fans to pay their final respects when her funeral cortege passes along the seafront in the Co Wicklow town on Tuesday morning at 10.30am.

The Grammy Award winner lived there for 15 years and her family said she “loved living in Bray and the people in it”.

O’Connor, 56, was found “unresponsive” at her London flat on July 26 and her remains were released to her family last week. There has been an outpouring of grief all over the world since her death and fans are expected to turn out in their droves to say their goodbyes.

A unique tribute to Sinéad O'Connor was unveiled on Bray Head, Co Wicklow, on Sunday. Echoing the Second World War 'ÉIRE' navigational sign, the new tribute reads ‘ÉIRE LOVES SINÉAD'. See link below for video. Picture: The Tenth Man 

A manager at the Strand Hotel and former Oscar Wilde Home, Kumar Gimmy, told the Irish Examiner: “We are expecting it to be like a state funeral, it will be huge. She was unique and a lovely person. We are so sad she is gone.”

O’Connor, a mother of four, spent time in An Grianán laundry as a teenager and later spent decades highlighting clerical abuse.

Her son Shane, 17, was under the care of Tusla, the child and family agency, when he tragically ended his life in January last year.

Afterwards, the singer reached out to a number of former foster children offering support. One person she contacted was Heidi Conroy, who said she was “heartbroken” after hearing of her passing. “She really did care about us” she said.

“And she messaged me, and she offered me strong words of encouragement. Not a day passes that I don’t think about her, and she spoke up for us when no one else did. She knew the foster care system was broken and it meant so much to me and people like me that she could see that and say it out loud because it felt like no one was listening.”

Former Magdalene laundry survivor Diane Croghan, 83, said she will also be at the singer’s funeral because of “the good work she did not letting the State and Church get away with it all”.

“I always had great time for her and I’m very sorry for her and her family that she is gone.”

O’Connor’s family said they “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.

 The route will begin at the Harbour Bar end of Strand Rd and continue along the seafront to the other end of Strand Rd, passing by the home in Montobello where Sinéad lived for 15 years.”