She lived life the only way she knew - just being herself. RTÉ Entertainment's John Byrne recalls ten key moments from Sinéad O'Connor’s rock and rollercoaster time sharing her unique world with the rest of us
It's no wonder Sinéad O'Connor never got around to recording a version of My Way. She was far too busy being herself to sing the tune that's often regarded as the ultimate song about living life on your terms.
Gone at 56, she crammed a lot - good, bad, but never indifferent - into those years. Married four times, a much-loved mother, she'll be best remembered for a great voice, that haircut, an often jaw-dropping mix of honesty and bravery, and some amazing music.
Here are ten moments that helped shape her life, her career - and our perception of a true maverick.
1. 1966
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor was born in the Cascia House Nursing Home at 13 Pembroke Road, Dublin, on December 8.
She was named Sinéad after Sinéad de Valera, the mother of the doctor handling the delivery, Eamonn de Valera, and Bernadette in honour of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.
Sinéad was the third of five children; her siblings were novelist Joseph, Eimear, John, and Eoin.
2. 1985
Sinéad was just 18 when her mother Marie died in a car accident on 10 February at the age of 45 as she lost control of her car on an icy road and crashed into a bus.
Several years previously, Sinéad had left her mother to live with her father John after her parents had split up.
3. 1987
After signing to Ensign records, her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her first hit was the single Mandinka.
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The song peaked at number 17 in the UK and number 6 in Ireland. She performed it on Late Night with David Letterman, her TV debut in the US.
4.1990
Her second album, 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, received glowing reviews and became her biggest success, selling over seven million copies.
Its lead single was Nothing Compares 2 U, a song written by Prince but made very much her own with a stunning vocal and video performance that made her an international star.
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5. 1992
On October 3, Sinéad O'Connor appeared on top US show Saturday Night Live and sang an a cappella version of Bob Marley's War as a protest against sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church.
She then produced a photo of Pope John Paul II, tore it up and threw the pieces towards the camera. It was an incendiary moment that will go down in TV history.
That SNL appearance occurred nine years before John Paul II acknowledged the sexual abuse within the Church but caused massive outrage at the time.
At the time Sinéad caused outrage on a global scale and was even condemned by Madonna.
6.1997
Sinéad O'Connor appeared in Neil Jordan's film The Butcher Boy, playing the Virgin Mary.
7. 1999
Sinéad gets ordained as a priest by the Latin Tridentine Church, a sect that is not recognised by the mainstream Catholic Church.
In 2017, O'Connor changed her name to Magda Davitt. After converting to Islam in 2018, she changed it to Shuhada' Sadaqat. But prior to her death she continued to record and perform under her birth name.
8. 2003
This was quite a prolific year for Sinéad as she contributed a track to the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman with a cover of Dagger Through the Heart.
She also featured on three songs of Massive Attack's album 100th Window before releasing her double album, She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty.
Directly after the album's release, O'Connor announced that she was retiring from music
Ultimately, after a brief period of inactivity and a bout with fibromyalgia, her retirement from music thankfully proved to be short-lived.
9. 2021
On 4 June, O'Connor announced her immediate retirement from the music industry.
While her final studio album, No Veteran Dies Alone, was due to be released in 2022, O'Connor stated that she would not be touring or promoting it.
Announcing the news on Twitter, she said 'This is to announce my retirement from touring and from working in the record business. I've gotten older and I'm tired.
‘So it's time for me to hang up my nipple tassels, having truly given my all. NVDA in 2022 will be my last release. And there'll be no more touring or promo.’
Later, on 7 June, she retracted this statement, describing the original announcement as ‘a knee-jerk reaction’ to an insensitive interview, and that she would be doing her already scheduled 2022 tour.
10. 2022
On January 7 Sinéad O'Connor's son Shane passed away tragically at the age of 17.
Sinéad subsequently decided to cancel her 2022 tour and her album No Veteran Dies Alone was indefinitely postponed.
Sadly, if the album ever gets released, it will be posthumously.
Rest in Peace Sinéad. It's the very least you deserve.
