Mourners attended an event in London paying tribute to Sinead O’Connor in droves (Picture: PA)
Mourners on both sides of the Irish Sea gathered to pay their respects to Sinéad O’Connor following her death aged 56.
Hundreds of people gathered at the London Irish Centre, in North London yesterday for an evening celebrating the Nothing Compares 2 U singer’s life and music.
Famous members of the Irish diaspora from comedian Sharon Horgan to DJ Annie Mac attended the event.
Attendees were treated to a reading of one of O’Connor’s letters by actress Lisa Dwan, as well as a rendition of Take Me To Church, led by comedian Aisling Bea.
Irish singer Moncrieff said it was ‘really special’ to be at the event.
‘To be around people who knew Sinead and were a part of her life was just a privilege,’ he added.
Aisling Bea was among the stars in attendance at the vigil (Picture: EPA)
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Fiona Flood, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Ireland in the UK, also paid tribute to the singer (Picture: EPA)
Fans shared memories of the singer as they celebrated her life and career (Picture: PA)
‘I’m an artist from Waterford, I moved to London a few years ago.
‘Just to be in that room, in that energy, to celebrate someone so important in Irish culture and the history of Ireland, and Irish music, I wouldn’t have missed it.’
Blanid Lynn, from Northern Ireland, said that the event was ‘amazing.’
‘Tonight was really amazing, Sinead was such a role model and an icon, a fantastic artist, and a voice for everyone who didn’t have a voice,’ she said.
She said that one of the highlights of the evening was Aisling Bea’s cover of Take Me to Church. as it was ‘so full of emotion’ and ‘so raw’.
‘And Sinead’s letter to Miley Cyrus, it was great hearing Sinead’s voice in the room,’ she continued.
Fans left tributes to the singer who died on Wednesday aged 56 (Picture: PA)
Attendees described the event as ‘amazing’ (Picture: EPA)
Fans also gathered in Dublin, where the singer originated, to pay their respects (Picture: EPA)
Musician Niall Jackson, from Dublin, said that the singer was a ‘legendary’ woman.
‘A legendary woman and I know that gets thrown around way too much,’ he said.
‘And I know that the media didn’t treat her overly well when she was alive.
‘But hopefully, now we get to judge her in what she’s done, and what she’s said, and like I said I think she has always been correct.’
Meanwhile, in Dublin, dozens of people gathered outside the Wall of Fame to pay their respects to the ‘beautiful soul’ O’Connor.
Those gathered in Temple Bar spoke about the influence her music had on their lives and called for her death to ‘light an absolute fire under all of us’ to tackle how mental health and children are treated in Ireland.
O’Connor died after being found unresponsive in a home in London (Picture: Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
She released a number of hit songs throughout her career including Prince cover Nothing Compares To U (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She also sparked global outrage by tearing up a picture of the Pope during an SNL performance 31 years ago (Picture: SNL Studios)
On X, formerly Twitter, Irish rock band U2 paid tribute to the singer.
‘Touch these eyes with a broken smile, Touch my mouth with your furrowed brow, Lift my heart, heal my shame , Lead me into rest again .. Heroine.. Rest In Peace Sinéad,’ they wrote.
Musician Peter Gabriel, with who she worked closely, described her as ‘an extraordinary talent’.
‘She could move us with a candour and a passion with which so many people connected. The path she chose was always difficult and uncompromising but at every turn she would show her spirit and her courage. I feel lucky to have had the chance to work with her,’ he said.
Fellow Irish singer Christy Moore described her as ‘our warrior woman – fearless yet fragile’.
American singer Pink paid tribute with a version of Nothing Compares 2 U alongside Brandi Carlile during a performance in Cincinnati with the same song performed by England’s Barmy Army trumpeter Simon Finch at the fifth Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval.
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The Grammy-winning singer, originally from Dublin, died on Wednesday, July 26, aged 56 after she was found unresponsive at a home in south London.
Politicians, musicians, actors, and charities from across the world have paid tribute to O’Connor for her contributions to the music industry and raising awareness of social issues.
She made headlines in 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on the US TV show Saturday Night Live, sparking a ferocious backlash.
The musician, who spent time in a notorious Magdalene laundry, set up to house ‘fallen women’, frequently spoke out about the child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.
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MORE : Sinéad O’Connor had important instructions for her children in event of her death
O’Connor was remembered by celebs and fans alike in London.
