'Thank you Sinéad': Fans line the streets of Bray to pay final respects to Sinéad O'Connor
Fans of singer Sinead O'Connor watch as her funeral procession passes through Bray town. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Thousands lined the streets of Bray to pay their final respects to singer Sinéad O’Connor this morning.
In a scene that resembled a state funeral the entire seafront of the small Co. Wicklow town was packed with friends, fans and mourners.
Just after 11:30am a small VW camper van draped in a large flag with the Rastafarian and pride colours and a large speaker on top passed through the crowds.
Music by one of her idols Bob Marley blared out through the speakers as the crowds began singing and dancing.
Silence followed a few moments later as a large hearse carrying Ms O’Connor’s remains passed through the Main Street.
Her coffin was completely covered in pink blue and white flowers.
A black and white photo of Sinéad was placed in the centre of the back window of the hearse.
Fans began shouting “Thank you Sinéad” and “We love you Sinéad” while throwing flowers on the hearse.
The vehicle stopped for around five minutes outside Sinéad’s former home on the seafront where she lived for 15 years.
The music continued to play while the hearse remained stationery directly opposite the driveway of “Montebello” - the name of Sinéad’s house.
The crowds burst into applause which echoed all over Bray throughout the procession.
Survivors of some Ireland’s religious and state run institutions as well as former foster children formed a guard of honour outside Sinéad’s former home.
Her private funeral service took place before the procession, which was attended by Sinéad’s children and family.
Her family did not follow the hearse, instead gave fans the opportunity to share their grief together with Sinéad while on her final journey.
Shortly before Ms O'Connor's arrival outsider her home, the gathered crowds began to sing, with her famous cover of being sang as the cortege made its way through the town.
President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the "profound impact" Ms O'Connor had on the Irish people ahead of her funeral on Tuesday.
Bob Geldof and U2’s frontman Bono were understood to be among the mourners .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was also in attendance at the service.
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, an Islamic scholar and Chief Imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland, told her funeral: "Just as Sinéad O’Connor brought diverse souls together through her art, so have you orchestrated a symphony of unity during her final journey.
"Your noble gesture has transcended boundaries and connected strangers, echoing the very essence of Sinéad’s legacy.
"In this shared moment of remembrance and prayer, we find ourselves united in a tapestry of love, compassion, and reverence.
"May this ceremony be a testament to the enduring power of humanity’s collective spirit, as we bid farewell to a remarkable soul who touched us all."
Dr Umar Al-Qadri also gave his “heartfelt gratitude” to O’Connor’s family and added that he was “humbled by the privilege” of delivering her service.
Ms O'Connor lived in Bray for 15 years, selling her home there in 2021. Her family said she loved the place and the people there.
A group of people awaiting Sinéad O’Connor’s funeral cortège outside her former home beautifully sing her hit, Nothing Compares 2 U. pic.twitter.com/Pm9zLQr7AU
— Eleanor Mannion (@eleanormmannion) August 8, 2023
The mother of four was found unresponsive by UK police at her apartment in London on July 26.
Carla Fitzgibbon from Scotland said she flew in last night to “be here for Sinead”.
“I’m a fan 25 years and I just had to be here. She was my hero.” the fan told the .
Meanwhile, Rose McKinney, 84, from Galway — who survived the Tuam mother and baby home — arrived at 9am to attend the procession.
“Sinead gave us a voice and now we’ll be here for her on her final journey," she Ms McKinney said.
President Higgins was in attendance alongside his wife Sabina at the service for the legendary singer in Bray.
In a statement on Tuesday ahead of the service, President Higgins said: "The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinéad O'Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people.
"The expression of both, without making any attempt to reduce the one for the sake of the other, made her contribution unique — phenomenal in music terms, but of immense heroism.
"However, achieving this came from the one heart and the one body and the one life, which extracted an incredible pain, perhaps one too much to bear.
"That is why all those who are seeking to make a fist of their life, combining its different dimensions in their own way, can feel so free to express their grief at her loss.”
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