the gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s but was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for her fierce and expressive music, has died at 56.

害羞草研究所淚t is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sin茅ad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,害羞草研究所� the singer害羞草研究所檚 family said in a statement reported Wednesday by the BBC and RTE. No cause was disclosed.

She was public about her mental illness, saying that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. O害羞草研究所機onnor posted a Facebook video in 2017 from a New Jersey motel where she had been living, saying that she was staying alive for the sake of others and that if it were up to her, she害羞草研究所檇 be 害羞草研究所済one.害羞草研究所�

When her died by suicide in 2022, O害羞草研究所機onnor tweeted there was 害羞草研究所渘o point living without him害羞草研究所� and was soon hospitalized.

Recognizable by her shaved head and elfin features, O害羞草研究所機onnor began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame. She was a star from her 1987 debut album 害羞草研究所淭he Lion and the Cobra害羞草研究所� and became a sensation in 1990 with her cover of Prince害羞草研究所檚 ballad 害羞草研究所淣othing Compares 2 U,害羞草研究所� a seething, shattering performance that topped charts from Europe to Australia and was heightened by a promotional video featuring the gray-eyed O害羞草研究所機onnor in intense close-up.

She was a lifelong non-conformist 害羞草研究所� she would say that she shaved her head in response to record executives pressuring her to be conventionally glamorous 害羞草研究所� but her and troubled private life often overshadowed her music.

A critic of the Catholic Church well before allegations sexual abuse were widely reported, O害羞草研究所機onnor made headlines in October 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II while appearing live on NBC害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪aturday Night Live害羞草研究所� and denounced the church as the enemy. The next week, Joe Pesci hosted 害羞草研究所淪aturday Night Live,害羞草研究所� held up a repaired photo of the Pope and said that if he had been on the show with O害羞草研究所機onnor he 害羞草研究所渨ould have gave her such a smack.害羞草研究所�

Days later, she appeared at an all-star tribute for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden and was immediately booed. She was supposed to sing Dylan害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淚 Believe in You,害羞草研究所� but switched to an a cappella version of Bob Marley害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淲ar,害羞草研究所� which she had sung on 害羞草研究所淪aturday Night Live.害羞草研究所�

Although consoled and encouraged on stage by her friend Kris Kristofferson, she left and broke down, and her performance was kept off the concert CD. (Years later, Kristofferson recorded 害羞草研究所淪ister Sinead,害羞草研究所� for which he wrote 害羞草研究所淎nd maybe she害羞草研究所檚 crazy and maybe she ain害羞草研究所檛/But so was Picasso and so were the saints.害羞草研究所�)

She also feuded with Frank Sinatra over her refusal to allow the playing of 害羞草研究所淭he Star-Spangled Banner害羞草研究所� at one of her shows and accused Prince of physically threatening her. In 1989 she declared her support for the Irish Republican Army, a statement she retracted a year later. Around the same time, she skipped the Grammy ceremony, saying it was too commercialized.

In 1999, O害羞草研究所機onnor caused uproar in Ireland when she became a priestess of the breakaway Latin Tridentine Church 害羞草研究所� a position that was not recognized by the mainstream Catholic Church. For many years, she called for a full investigation into the extent of the church害羞草研究所檚 role in concealing child abuse by clergy. In 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI apologized to Ireland to atone for decades of abuse, O害羞草研究所機onnor condemned the apology for not going far enough and called for Catholics to boycott Mass until there was a full investigation into the Vatican害羞草研究所檚 role, which by 2018 was making international headlines.

害羞草研究所淧eople assumed I didn害羞草研究所檛 believe in God. That害羞草研究所檚 not the case at all. I害羞草研究所檓 Catholic by birth and culture and would be the first at the church door if the Vatican offered sincere reconciliation,害羞草研究所� she wrote in the Washington Post in 2010.

O害羞草研究所機onnor announced in 2018 that she had and would be adopting the name Shuhada害羞草研究所� Davitt, later Shuhada Sadaqat 害羞草研究所� although she continued to use Sin茅ad O害羞草研究所機onnor professionally.

害羞草研究所淗er music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare,害羞草研究所� Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said in a statement on social media.

O害羞草研究所機onnor was born on Dec. 8, 1966. She had a difficult childhood, with a mother whom she alleged was abusive and encouraged her to shoplift. As a teenager she spent time in a church-sponsored institution for girls, where she said she washed priests害羞草研究所� clothes for no wages. But a nun gave O害羞草研究所機onnor her first guitar, and soon she sang and performed on the streets of Dublin, her influences ranging from Dylan to Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Her performance with a local band caught the eye of a small record label, and, in 1987, O害羞草研究所機onnor released 害羞草研究所淭he Lion and the Cobra,害羞草研究所� which sold hundreds of thousands of copies and featured the hit 害羞草研究所淢andinka,害羞草研究所� driven by a hard rock guitar riff and O害羞草研究所機onnor害羞草研究所檚 piercing vocals. O害羞草研究所機onnor, 20 years old and pregnant while making 害羞草研究所淟ion and the Cobra,害羞草研究所� co-produced the album.

害羞草研究所淚 suppose I害羞草研究所檝e got to say that music saved me,害羞草研究所� she said in an interview with the Independent newspaper in 2013. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 have any other abilities, and there was no learning support for girls like me, not in Ireland at that time. It was either jail or music. I got lucky.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淣othing Compares 2 U害羞草研究所� received three Grammy nominations and was the featured track off her acclaimed album 害羞草研究所淚 Do Not Want What I Haven害羞草研究所檛 Got,害羞草研究所� which helped lead Rolling Stone to name her Artist of the Year in 1991.

害羞草研究所淪he proved that a recording artist could refuse to compromise and still connect with millions of listeners hungry for music of substance,害羞草研究所� the magazine declared.

O害羞草研究所機onnor害羞草研究所檚 other musical credits included the albums 害羞草研究所淯niversal Mother害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淔aith and Courage,害羞草研究所� a cover of Cole Porter害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淵ou Do Something to Me害羞草研究所� from the AIDS fundraising album 害羞草研究所淩ed Hot + Blue害羞草研究所� and backing vocals on Peter Gabriel害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淏lood of Eden.害羞草研究所� She received eight Grammy nominations overall and in 1991 won for best alternative musical performance.

O害羞草研究所機onnor announced she was retiring from music in 2003, but she continued to record new material. Her most recent album was 害羞草研究所� released in 2014 and she sang the theme song

The singer married four times; her union to drug counsellor Barry Herridge, in 2011, lasted just 16 days. O害羞草研究所機onnor had four children: Jake, with her first husband John Reynolds; Roisin, with John Waters; Shane, with Donal Lunny; and Yeshua Bonadio, with Frank Bonadio.

In 2014, she said she was joining the and called for its leaders to step aside so that a younger generation of activists could take over. She later withdrew her application.

This story includes discussion of suicide. If you feel like you are in crisis or are considering suicide, please call the Crisis Centre BC suicide hotline at 1-800-784-2433.

Other resources include: Canada Suicide Prevention Service at Toll free: 1-833-456-4566. You can also text 45645 or visit the online chat service at .