A funeral procession has been held for Sinead O’Connor within the Irish city of Bray, with Bob Geldof and Bono amongst these paying tribute.

Particulars of her funeral had been shared yesterday (August 7), with followers invited to say a “last goodbye” to the singer and activist as a procession adopted a route alongside the seafront in Bray, County Wicklow.

Beginning earlier this morning (August 8), the cortege started on the Harbour Bar continued to the opposite finish of Strand Street. It additionally stopped by the home the place O’Connor lived for 15 years, and a non-public burial ceremony is quickly to observe.

For the occasion, 1000’s of followers got here out to bid farewell to the ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ singer and pay their respects. In an replace shared by BBC, it was reported that many walked behind the hearse, some throwing flowers and a few with their heads bowed.

Amongst these sighted on the tribute included U2’s frontman Bono, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar and Irish President Michael D Higgins. On the occasion, the latter mentioned that the sheer quantity of individuals arriving for the funeral cortege “demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people” (through BBC Information).

folks lay flowers and tributes on the hearse in the course of the funeral procession of late irish singer sinead o’connor, aug 8, 2023. credit: paul religion/getty photos

The Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof was additionally seen, driving in a white taxi as a part of the funeral cortege, passing mourners lined outdoors the late singer’s former house.

His look this morning follows the on-stage tribute he paid to O’Connor whereas at Cavan Calling competition in Eire on July 31. On the occasion, he instructed the gang about his longtime friendship with the musician and shared his admiration for her braveness.

“She meant a lot to everyone. She meant a lot to us,” he started. “She was relentless. She had a voice like none of us have ever heard – so pure. And being a great artist, that voice completely represented her soul and her spirit and whenever we hear that we’ll always be with that great woman.”

He additionally recalled how he had obtained textual content messages from her simply weeks earlier than her passing. “She was a very good friend of mine. We were talking right up to a couple of weeks ago,” he mentioned. “Some of her texts were laden with desperation and despair and sorrow and some were ecstatically happy. She was like that.”

people attend the funeral of 56-year-old irish musician sinead o'connor, in bray, north wicklow, ireland on august 08, 2023.

Folks attend the funeral of 56-year-old Irish Musician Sinead O’Connor, in Bray, North Wicklow, Eire on August 08, 2023. CREDIT: Mostafa Darwish/Getty Photos

At this time, the cortege was led by a VW camper van, which performed music from 4 massive audio system on the roof. One of many tracks performed was ‘Natural Mystic’ by Bob Marley and the Wailers – a observe from certainly one of O’Connor’s private heroes.

It was additionally a reference to how she had the colors of the Rastafarian flag painted on the nook of her home within the city, together with the album of reggae covers she launched in 2005.

Candles, photographs of the singer and even political banners had been held by these awaiting the funeral cortege, and followers additionally positioned flowers on the windscreen of the vehicles that drove by. In the direction of the tip of the service, a shifting eulogy was led by Shaykh Dr Umar al Qadri from the Islamic Centre of Eire.

“The more she sang and spoke about her own pain, as well as about the pervasive sins in society that she witnessed, the more her voice and her words resonated with listeners and touched their hearts,” he mentioned (through Sky Information).

“Sinead’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 Sinead was no exception, and in sharing that solace, she brought joy to countless people the world over.”

It was additionally reported earlier immediately {that a} heartwarming tribute had been put in on cliffs overlooking the coast city – designed by Dublin-based artistic company The Tenth Man.

The message confirmed the phrases ‘Eire’, the Irish identify for Eire, and ‘Sinéad’ joined by a coronary heart. Discussing the inspiration behind the tribute, the company’s artistic director, Richard Seabrooke instructed NI’s Good Morning Ulster programme (through BBC) that O’Connor’s demise hit him “like a tonne of bricks” and he felt it was essential “that Ireland got to say goodbye” to the singer.

Information that the singer and activist had died broke final month (July 26), after she was discovered unresponsive in her London house. She was pronounced lifeless on the scene, aged 56.