Irish singer Sinead O’Connor  has died at the age of 56 – 18 months after her teenage son Shane took his own life.

Sinead  O’ Connor found global fame  with 1990 hit single Nothing Compares 2 U, composed by rock legend Prince which galloped to number one around the globe. The song accompanied by a powerful video which displays her shedding real tears.

In a Twitter post ten days ago, she gave an insight into her grief since losing her 17-year-old son in January 2022,” her final message in what appears to be one of her final posts with a photo of them saying “ 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” . She also posted Spotify links including one to “all mothers of suicided children”.

The singer shared her deep heartache at losing her son publicly criticizing the Irish authorities including the child and family agency Tusia, for their refusal to accept responsibility for Shane’s death and claimed too many kids were dying on their watch. She had been to identify the body of her son who was last seen in Tallaght, South Dublin. He had gone missing from hospital the day before.

Ms O’Connor born into a troubled family in Dublin on December 8, 1966, was married four times, she wed her first husband John Reynolds in 1989, but their marriage only lasted two years, she then married Daily Mirror journalist Nick Sommerlad in 2001, and split a year later. In 2010 she married Australian musician Steve Cooney, but the relationship lasted merely a year, Her fourth husband was Barry Herridge. She also dated Genesis star Peter Gabriel and Irish newspaper columnist John Waters. She converted to Islam in 2018 and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat.

Later in life she claimed she started having mental health issues because her mother physically and sexually abused her as a child.  She was placed in corrective school aged 15 after bouts of stealing in Dublin. Someone spotted her musical talent and bought her a guitar and pusher her to have lessons. She met Colm Farrelly in 1984 through an advert in a Dublin music magazine to form a band Ton Ton Macoute which brought Ms O’Connor to the attention of the  global music industry. After signing with Ensign Records she released her first album, I Do Not Want  What I haven’t Got in 1990 which sold over seven million copies  which included her breakthrough hit Nothing Compares 2 U.

Her other hits included You Made Me the Thief Of Your Heart for the sound track of Daniel Day-Lewis film in the Name of the Father – Drink Before The War and This Is The Day and released ten studio albums in her career.

Ms O”Connor is survived by three children Jake 36, Brigidine Roisin 27, and Yeshua Francis Neil 17.