Here are some top facts about Sinéad O’Connor to mark the day the iconic Irish singer-songwriter was born, December 8, 1966.
One of Ireland's greatest singers, Sinéad O'Connor achieved an incredible amount of success.
Despite her ups and downs, and even after her sad passing on July 26, 2023, O'Connor's influence endures.
In celebration of the birthday of the "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer, here are some top facts about her:
Sinéad O'Connor's family
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor was born in Glenageary, Co Dublin on December 8, 1966, to parents Sean O'Connor and Johanna Marie O'Grady. She has four siblings - Joseph, Eimear, John, and Eoin.
Sinead O'Connor in Dublin in 2000.
Sinéad O'Connor's marriages
O'Connor was married four times - John Reynolds in 1987, Nick Sommerlad in 1991, Steve Cooney in 2010, and Barry Herridge in 2011.
Sinéad O'Connor's religion
The Irish singer was ordained as a priest by a Roman Catholic splinter group called the Latin Tridentine Church, taking the clerical name Mother Bernadette Maria. In 2018, however, she converted to Islam.
April 30, 1999: Sinead O'Connor on RTE's Late Late Show after being ordained as a priest. (RollingNews.ie)
Sinéad O'Connor - most beautiful
Sinéad O'Connor was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world in 1991.
Sinead O'Connor in 1989. (Getty Images)
Sinéad O'Connor on SNL
In 1992, O'Connor famously ripped up a photo of the then Pope John Paul II on "Saturday Night Live" saying, "Fight the real enemy."
Remembering Sinéad O'Connor: In 1992, the singer tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on US television programme Saturday Night Live in an act of protest against child sex abuse in the Catholic Church. pic.twitter.com/bxrqjhhaug
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) July 27, 2023
Sinéad O'Connor - movie star
O'Connor was cast as the Virgin Mary in Neil Jordon's 1997 drama, “The Butcher Boy.”
Sinéad O'Connor's top hit
She achieved international success in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Sinéad O'Connor's Grammys
Throughout her career, O'Connor has been nominated for a Grammy Award seven times. She won once, in the Best Alternative Music Performance category for her "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" in 1991.
Sinéad O'Connor's children
Sinéad has four children - Jake, Roisin, Shane, and Yeshua. She welcomed her first grandchild in 2015 when her son Jake had a boy with his girlfriend. Tragically, in January 2022, Sinéad's son Shane, aged 17, took his own life.
Sinéad O'Connor's struggles
The Dubliner admitted on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2007 that she had been diagnosed as bipolar and that she had attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday.
However, she later revealed in 2014 that she received three other opinions, all of which told her she was not bipolar. She has also been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.
Sinéad O'Connor's death
Sadly, Sinéad O'Connor was found dead in her London flat on July 26, 2023. She was 56 years old.
A funeral for O'Connor was held in Bray, Co Wicklow - which thousands of people turned out for - and she was buried in Deansgrange Cemetery in Dublin where her mother was also buried.
August 8, 2023: Sinéad O'Connor's funeral. (RollingNews.ie)
The Southwark Coroner's Court in London confirmed in January 2024 that the Irish songstress died of natural causes.
*Originally published in 2011. Last updated in December 2024.
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