About a year and-a-half before her own tragic death, Sinéad O'Connor endured one of the
toughest losses a parent can face: one of her children.
It seems she never fully recovered from her grief.
The Irish singer's 17-year-old son, Shane O'Connor, was found dead on January 7, 2022,
two days after he was reported missing, according to The Guardian.
One day later, Sinéad announced the tragic news on Twitter, writing,
"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.
May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example.
My baby.
I love you so much.
Please be at peace."
In a now-deleted follow-up post, the singer dedicated the Bob Marley song "Ride Natty
Ride" to her son, writing,
"This is for my Shaney.
The light of my life.
The lamp of my soul.
My blue-eye baby.
You will always be my light.
We will always be together.
No boundary can separate us."
Prior to his tragic death, Sinéad had appealed to her son on social media not to harm himself
and noted that he had been hospitalized following two suicide attempts.
Shane was ultimately found to have taken his own life.
Sinéad had a close relationship with Shane, according to The Mirror, and many fans have
remarked how similar the mother and son looked.
Shane was born in 2004 as the third of Sinéad's four children.
His father is producer Donal Lunny.
Sinéad and Lunny split up shortly after Shane's birth.
After welcoming Shane, Sinéad announced her intention to retire from music, but eventually returned.
Like Shane, Sinéad also struggled with her mental health over the years.
She revealed that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder,
and borderline personality disorder in her 2021 memoir, "Rememberings," and has spent
time in and out of psychiatric facilities.
In May 2021, she revealed that Shane had accompanied her to get her Covid-19 vaccine, with fans
praising Shane for being a good son.
After Shane's 2022 death, Sinéad posted some concerning tweets and was subsequently hospitalized
for a time, CNN reported.
Months later, amid her grief, Sinéad decided to cancel all her live performances for 2022.
Her management said in a statement,
"Thank you to Sinead's friends and fans whose support and understanding we hold in the highest
esteem throughout this period.
The love being shown has been a source of great comfort and peace for Sinead."
During a 2021 interview, Sinéad told People that Shane was a "real mommy's boy" and also
stated,
"He just loves his mommy since the day he was born."
In her memoir, Sinéad wrote that Shane was a "genius," as well as an "extremely special character."
The musician also noted the similarities between mother and son, writing,
"He is the child who is most like me, I believe, to look at and by his nature — although
he is of course the version of me with logic and reason."
Just prior to her devastating July 2023 death, Sinéad discussed Shane on social media.
Sinéad posted a video on Twitter in which she mentioned the intense grief related to
Shane's death.
"Your kid, unfortunately, passing away — it isn't good for one's body or soul."
O'Connor seemed to be making plans for the future, though, pointing out a Martin Johnny
Cash guitar on which she planned to write songs.
Just over a week before her passing, Sinéad posted a throwback photo of herself and Shane
while sharing a heartbreaking message alongside the hashtag "lost my 17-year-old son to suicide
in 2022" and a series of crying emojis.
She wrote,
"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."
No cause of death has been revealed for Sinéad.
TMZ reports that there will be an autopsy, but police do not believe there was foul play.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available.
Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.