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Jun 09, 2023

Saying Goodbye to Sinead O'Connor: Bono Joins Mourners to Pay Tribute to Late Singer

Aug. 8 2023, Published 3:30 p.m. ET U2 frontman Bono joined thousands of mourners in Ireland to pay tribute to iconic singer/songwriter Sinéad O'Connor , RadarOnline.com has learned. O'Connor, 56, was

Aug. 8 2023, Published 3:30 p.m. ET

U2 frontman Bono joined thousands of mourners in Ireland to pay tribute to iconic singer/songwriter Sinéad O'Connor, RadarOnline.com has learned.

O'Connor, 56, was found unresponsive on July 26 in London, England. The cause of death has yet to be released.

An estimated 3,000 gathered in the singer's hometown to celebrate O'Connor's life before she was laid to rest in a traditional Muslim ceremony.

The town of Bray, Ireland, was packed with fans who showed up to honor one of its most influential stars. Flowers and tokens of appreciation were placed on the steps of a house O'Connor once called home.

In the streets, fans remembered O'Connor by blasting her greatest hits. The hearse that carried the Troy singer's casket also played her music.

As the hearse slowly maneuvered its way through the crowd, mourners reached out to touch it while others stopped to place flowers on its hood. The back of the hearse featured a glass door where more flowers and a framed photo of O'Connor were displayed for all to see.

The emotional crowd could be heard singing one of O'Connors most well-known songs, a cover of Prince's Nothing Compares to U.

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A private funeral service was held for O'Connor's closest friends and family. Bono and fellow U2 members The Edge and Adam Clayton were in attendance. Other notable musicians included Bob Geldof, who also attended O'Connor's burial.

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and politician Taoiseach Leo Varadkar were also present to pay their respects.

In her eulogy, Imam Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri said O'Connor "suffered more than her share of hardship and adversity."

While O'Connor tragically endure a lifetime of suffering, even until her final years with the loss of her son, Shane, 17, her intense familiarity with pain transcended music and allowed a deeply profound connection with her fans.

"Gifted with a voice that moved a generation of young people, she could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance," O'Connor's eulogy continued.

"Sinéad's voice carried with it an undertone of hope, of finding one's way home. The Irish people have long found solace in song from the sufferings of this lower abode, and Sinéad was no exception, and in sharing that solace, she brought joy to countless people the world over."