IRISH fruitcakes are definitely worth savoring if they're edible, but not if they're alive. At least that's the way Sinead O'Connor feels about some living, breathing "fruitcakes" who kept pestering her after they discovered her new home address in Bray Co. Wicklow. The callers to her front door have forced Sinead to put her new multi-million 1860s period home with stunning views on the market because she fears for her safety and that of her children.

"When I bought the house all the media here decided to publish stories which involved photos of my house and details of my address despite the fact that it's in breach of the Data Protection Act, because my children live there, and as a result I've had all manner of weirdos writing or turning up at the door," an irate Sinead, who's preparing for a U.S. tour next month, told the Sunday Independent.

"You want your privacy, your children have a right to you as a mother, not as Sinead O'Connor, and they have a right not to be drawn into that world and you just don't want to be dealing with that at home, you want to be a private person. But more importantly there is the odd f***in' fruitcake out there and, as a mother, you do have to be aware of that."

Indeed, the star says she's received letters from people requesting all sorts of money to pay for this or that, but more scary, one woman called Julia has left her cakes with knives as a very untasty filling.

"She used to come to the kitchen window and leave cakes and then underneath there'd be a really nasty letter and then a few weeks later there'd be another cake and another letter. And then one time there was a knife in it," said Sinead.

Scary stuff for sure. Hopefully Sinead will have her living situation sorted out after she's done with business in the U.S.