inéad O’Connor discussed the death of her son Shane in a heartbreaking final social media post before her death aged 56.
The Irish singer’s family confirmed that she had passed away in a statement to Irish media on Wednesday.
She was best known for her single Nothing Compares 2 U, released in 1990, which went on to hit number one around the world.
In January 2022, Shane was found dead after being reported missing two days previously.
Officers recovered the 17-year-old’s body in the Bray area of Wicklow following a huge search.
In a tweet posted on a now-deleted account on July 17, O’Connor wrote of her son’s death: “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 shared the post in response to a post which read: “Tell me how your life is going with emojis.”
The singer previously described Shane as “the very light of my life” and said he had “decided to end his earthly struggle and is now with God”.
O’Connor later cancelled all upcoming live performances for the rest of 2022 due to her “continuing grief”.
Two weeks ago, O’Connor had said on Facebook that she had moved to London and was “very happy to be home”.
She hinted that she would release music “next year” and would “hopefully” be touring Australia and New Zealand in 2024 and 2025.
O’Connor is survived by her three remaining children.
Tributes flooded in for the singer on Wednesday evening.
Irish band Aslan, who collaborated with O’Connor on Up In Arms in 2001, paid tribute. The band’s lead singer, Christy Dignam, died in June.
A post on the band’s Facebook page read: “Two Legends taken from us so closely together… No words… Rest in Peace Sinead.”
Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was “really sorry” to hear the news of O’Connor’s death.
“Her music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare”, he tweeted on Wednesday evening.
“Condolences to her family, her friends and all who loved her music.”
