Sinéad O’Connor shared a haunting tweet as her final social media post before her death aged 56.
The Irish singer’s death was confirmed by her family on Tuesday, as tributes poured in, including from Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said: ‘Really sorry to hear of Sinead O’Connor’s passing.
‘Her music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.’
The cause of death for the revolutionary icon has yet to be determined.
She promoted awareness and spoke honestly about her religious journey, activism, and mental health challenges throughout her career, after being pushed to popularity in 1990 with Nothing Compares 2 U.
She took a hiatus from performing last year to grieve the death of her 17-year-old son Shane.
O’Connor paid homage to her kid and named him the ‘love of her life’ in what looks to be her farewell social media post last week.
She said she felt ‘lost’ without him and that since his death, she’s been ‘living as undead night creature’.
Responding to a tweet asking people to ‘tell me how your life is going with emojis’, O’Connor posted a series of crying faces.
She wrote: ‘#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022. 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.’
The post was published on July 17, and in the days after, O’Connor has posted a number of Spotify links, including AI Green’s How Can You Mend a Broken Heart and Curtis Mayfield’s Here but I’m Gone.
Shane’s corpse was found in Wicklow after he went missing.
O’Connor said at the time: ‘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.’
Need support?
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
If you’re a young person, or concerned about a young person, you can also contact PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide UK. Their HOPELINK digital support platform is open 24/7, or you can call 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org between the hours of 9am and midnight.
