Devastating family tragedy before Sinead O’Connor’s death

Sinead O’Connor was left devastated last year as the disappearance and death of her teenage son played out in public.

Irish music legend Sinead O’Connor suffered a devastating personal tragedy early last year, before news of her death today at the age of 56.

O’Connor’s death comes after her son Shane, 17, died by suicide in January 2022 after escaping hospital while on suicide watch. He had been hospitalised following two previous attempts.

Sinead O’Connor has died aged 56. Picture: Getty

Her teenage son Shane died in January last year.

“My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God,” she wrote on social media at the time, confirming he had passed.

“May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”

O’Connor had previously issued a heartbreaking public plea to her son when he went missing.

“Shane, your life is precious. God didn’t chisel that beautiful smile on your beautiful face for nothing,” she tweeted, asking him to visit the Gardai (Irish police) and get help.

“My world would collapse without you. You are my heart. Please don’t stop it from beating. Please don’t harm yourself. Go to the Gardai and let’s get you to hospital.”

Sinead and her son Shane.

Sinead called Shane “the love of my life.” Picture: Getty

Another message issued by O’Connor during her son’s disappearance read: “This is a message for my son, Shane. Shane, it’s not funny anymore all this going missing. You are scaring the crap out of me. Could you please do the right thing and present yourself at a Gardai station. If you are with Shane please call the Gardai for his safety”.

She also publicly berated the Dublin hospital her son had escaped from, threatening them with a lawsuit.

“Like, how has a seventeen-year-old traumatised young person WHO WAS ON SUICIDE WATCH able to go missing???” she asked.

“Hospital of course so far refusing to take any responsibility. Anything happens to my son on their watch? Lawsuits.”

O’Connor’s pain over her son’s death was clearly still overwhelming in what was to be her final message on social media, posted just last week.

She had responded to a tweet by the Inspirational Quotes account, which instructed “Tell me how your life is going using emojis.”

O’Connor shared crying face emojis and the hashtag: “Lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022”.

“Been living as undead night creature since,” she continued.

“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.”

Shane’s father is Donal Lunny, an Irish folk musician and producer.

Shane was one of Sinead’s four children, the three other being Jake Reynolds, Roisin Waters, and Yeshua Francis Neil Bonadio.

Originally published as Devastating family tragedy before Sinead O’Connor’s death