Abuse survivors mourn the loss of 'one of the bravest women' Sinéad O'Connor 

Many survivors who suffered at the hands of  religious orders attended O'Connor's funeral, and said the singer gave them a voice when they believed nobody was listening. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins

Among the crowd that swarmed around the cortege carrying the remains of Sinéad O’Connor, continuously clapping and cheering, were a number of abuse survivors who wanted to mark what she had done for them.

At one point it felt like the applause was not going to stop.

Cameras clicked and phones were held high in the air as thousands of fans that attended her funeral procession were overcome with emotion.

Shouts of “thank you Sinéad” and “ee love you Sinéad” could be heard from both sides of the street.

Her family had organised the procession for their “beloved Sinéad” having recognised the outpouring of grief from all over the world since she died. Ms O’Connor’s body was found unresponsive by Metropolitan police at her new apartment in London on July 26. Her death is not being treated as suspicious.

Not only was she a world-renowned grammy-winning rock star, but Sinead O’Connor, 56, was also an activist and fearless campaigner. Having spent time in a Magdalene Laundry in An Grianan as a teenager, she knew all too well the cruelty that went on behind those doors.

She also highlighted problems in today’s foster care system, after her own son Shane, 17 died last year while in the care of Tusla.

Many survivors who suffered at the hands of the religious orders joined the event on Tuesday and said the singer gave them a voice when they believed nobody was listening.

“Survivors unite, survivors together” could be heard from a group of people who had formed a guard of honour holding a sign that read: “Suffer little children, and suffer we did in your care homes and orphanages."

Fans throw flowers on to the hearse of Sinéad O'Connor, as the procession made its way through Bray.

Former foster child Keith McAnaspie, 34, whose brother, Daniel, was murdered while in he was in foster care said: “Sinead contacted me after she heard about him.

“He was treated like just another number. He was my big brother, and he was only 17. I was in care too, but nobody cared about us. Sinéad O’Connor was up there trying to do something about it. 

Her son died in care. She spoke about it because she knew what it was like. It was a battle for her, and it is a battle for us.

Accompanied by her daughter Mags, Rose McKinney, 84 who had three babies taken by the nuns while in the Tuam mother and baby home said: “That’s a woman I’ll never forget. Sinéad O’Connor had guts; she knew all the secrets of the church, the bad ones.

“She had friends who had babies taken away and she was in a laundry herself. What a hard life she had. It is only right we come here to say thank you."

Former Magdalene laundry survivor Maureen Sullivan said: 

We are proud and honoured to be here today. She did the charity single for us, ‘From a Distance’. The journey stone that is in the Little Museum, that’s thanks to Sinéad. I was in a Magdalene at 12, my education, name, and identity were taken.

Dave Sharpe, a survivor and campaigner of historical child sex abuse in Scotland made the trip to Dublin to pay his respects. He said: 

“Sinéad was one of the bravest women I have ever known. What she did in 1992 for survivors, she ripped up the photo of the Pope, that was a very, very brave thing to do then a few months later went in front of that crowd at a Bob Dylan tribute concert and she defiantly sang out the same song at the top of her voice highlighting child abuse across the world. She was incredible."

Among the crowd was rape and sexual abuse survivor Fiona Doyle, 57, whose father Patrick O'Brien was jailed in 2013 for six years for abusing her.

“I feel connected to Sinéad, we are both from Dun Laoghaire, both grew up in the same area and both survivors of abuse. When my case went public, and my book was published I met with Sinéad.

“We had a good chat about our views. She was very very supportive of my story, and we discussed our mothers, we had a lot in common about that, both mothers were abusive, and both our mothers are dead. I just felt she was an incredible woman for survivors of all types of abuse. She was very real and genuine."