Sinead O'Connor funeral: 'She gave so much of herself, it’s the least we could do to be here' - Thousands gather in Bray for emotional farewell

FOLLOWING the shock and sadness at the death of Sinéad O’Connor, there was a feeling of celebration and appreciation in the seaside town of Bray as thousands turned out to pay their respects today.

Having previously lived in the area for 15 years, locals in cafés spoke of her as a neighbour who came in for a quiet coffee rather than of her global fame.

Outside her idyllic former property facing the seafront, flowers and tributes were placed as locals, music fans and the media slowly began to gather in huge numbers.

There was applause as a decorated Volkswagen camper van arrived outside, with speakers playing her songs and decorations on top.

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While everyone knows her signature song, Nothing Compares 2 U, there was an added appreciation among those who joined in for an emotional singalong.

By the time the funeral cortege passed around noon, there was a positive and almost carnival atmosphere as Bob Marley played out from speakers and the crowds began to follow along the road.

Read more: Crowd sings Nothing Compares 2 U as Sinead O'Connor's funeral cortege passes her Bray home

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Bray resident Adrian Duggan (69) said he had fond memories of his neighbour.

“She was a very private woman. Sometimes she’d walk into my café down the end of the promenade, but you had to look twice as she’d have her hat on and her head would be down,” he told the Irish News.

“She was always shy, but then there was the Sinéad on stage who was a completely different person.

“We would have quite a few well-known people passing through Bray, but we wouldn’t annoy them.

“We were down in the Harbour bar once as kids. We saw this big Mercedes car outside, so we had a look through the window and there was Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn.

“They were making the big movie, The Lion in Winter (1968). That was a long time ago.”

On Sinéad O’Connor’s fame, he said: “She didn’t want to be a pop star, she was a protest singer. That false glamour didn’t interest her.

“We’re delighted that she was here for 15 years, she was really happy to be here.”

Cúán Mac Conghail (55) from Dublin left Ireland for London in the 1980s.

“She mattered musically, but also as a person that actually spoke for my generation at the time,” he said.

“It is a sad day, but you can tell by the people here that they’re here to say thank you. 

“It’s hard to quantify the actual emotion that’s here. It’s respectful, it’s sad and I suppose it’s a celebration.”

Maria Towey (45) from Roscommon became a lifelong fan after seeing the singer’s performance of Mandinka on Top of the Pops.

“I think Sinéad has given us so much of herself, it’s the least we could do to be here,” she said. 

“I grew up in the 90s and Sinéad was like a warrior. She said everything you wanted to say and took all the flack for saying it.

“She was authentic and never lost that part of herself I think.”

James Nolan from Bray, aged in his 50s, said he remembers the singer’s friendliness rather than her iconic status.

“People left her alone and she was a normal person,” he said.

“She was a great singer, a great songwriter, a great performer. But I never thought of her as some sort of rock god, just a good person.”

Holding a ‘Thank You Sinéad’ banner with her friends was Grainne Rafferty (48) from Drogheda.

“She had such a stunning voice and she spoke for us when we couldn’t,” she said.

“The first time I was aware of her was listening to Madinka in my friend’s sitting room.

“We just thought ‘who is this woman and how can we be like her immediately?’

“As a teenager it was awesome and we’ve followed her ever since. She spoke about subjects that we didn’t yet have the words or feelings for.

“It's just such a lovely heartwarming tribute to her. She was ours, there’s a certain level of ownership about her.

“She was our voice and it’s lovely to see so many people here.”