Sinead O'Connor fans' touching final tribute as hearse passes through emotional crowd
Sinead O'Connor received a roaring farewell from thousands of mourners as her hearse passed through her hometown in Ireland today.
Sinead O'Connor: Mourners gather in Bray ahead of funeral
Sinead O'Connor fans threw red and yellow flowers and sang her hit Nothing Compares 2 U as her funeral cortège passed her former home today.
Her army of loyal supporters began to line the streets of Bray in Ireland early this morning, gathering to pay their respects to the late singer before she was laid to rest.
The procession was led by a Garda escort and a Volkswagen Transporter, which played Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Natural Mystic from its speakers.
A large number of flowers and cards were left outside her former home as well as candles and tricolours.
In a statement on Sunday, Sinead's family had promised fans “an opportunity to pay their final respects” when her funeral cortège travelled through the town.
And fans could not wait to seize the opportunity to show how much Sinead and her music meant to them.
Handwritten notes left outside her former home thanked the singer for sharing her voice and her music.
One note said: “You are forever in my heart.”
A pink chair was placed outside the pink-framed conservatory of the house, located on the seafront, with matching flowers and a photo of the singer placed at the base.
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In the statement, he said: “The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinead O’Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people.
“The unique contribution of Sinead involved the experience of a great vulnerability combined with a superb, exceptional level of creativity that she chose to deliver through her voice, her music and her songs.”
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, an Islamic scholar and the chief Imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland who met Sinead in 2018, posted that he was “incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Muslim funeral prayer for the daughter of Ireland, Sinead O’Connor aka Shuhada Sadaqat”.
He wrote on Twitter: “It is an honour to be part of this occasion, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the family for recognising and embracing her Muslim identity.”