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Sinéad O'Connor died of natural causes, coroner says

January 09, 2024

Sinéad O'Connor died of natural causes according to a coroner's statement. She's pictured above performing in Vancouver, Canada in the late 1980s.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor died of natural causes, according to the Southwark Coroner's Court in London.

"This is to confirm that Ms. O'Connor died of natural causes," the statement reads. "The coroner has therefore ceased their involvement in her death."

O'Connor died on July 26, 2023, at the age of 56. A pioneering, outspoken artist known for her gorgeous, commanding voice and social activism, her death came just 18 months after her son Shane died by suicide at age 17.

Thousands of people lined the streets on the day of her funeral in Bray in County Wicklow. Irish president Michael Higgins, U2's Bono and The Edge were among the mourners.

A tribute concert for O'Connor and her friend, Irish artist Shane MacGowan, is planned for March in New York. City Winery is organizing Sinéad & Shane at Carnegie Hall. Performers include David Gray, Glen Hansard, Amanda Palmer and the Dropkick Murphys. MacGowan died on Nov. 30, 2023, at the age of 65.