A new hour-long documentary pays a poignant tribute to the late Irish musician Sinéad O'Connor, who died suddenly last July.
"SINÉAD" draws on archive footage from Sinéad O'Connor's TV appearances in Ireland and around the world to study the Irish singer's often turbulent life.
Irish music legend Christy Moore is among the high-profile figures to contribute to the documentary, describing O'Connor as someone with a "rebel heart and a rebel soul".
"She wasn't a mainstream girl," Moore told the documentary.
Other contributors include musician and producer David Holmes, American-British playwright and critic Bonnie Greer, Irish singer Imelda May, British director and musician Don Letts, and BP Fallon, an Irish DJ and author who was a lifelong friend of O'Connor's.
The documentary explores O'Connor's often difficult life, including the 18 months she spent at a reform school and her difficult relationship with her mother, who died when O'Connor was 17.
It also explores her celebrated music career, delving into the staggering highs that followed the release of her debut album "The Lion and the Cobra" in 1987 and studying the controversies that followed O'Connor throughout her career.
It also takes a look at the release of O'Connor's cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2U" in 1990, which catapulted O'Connor to global superstardom.
O'Connor used her newfound fame to speak out on a wide number of social issues, famously ripping up a photograph of Pope John Paul II during an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" and telling the public to "fight the real evil.
The documentary explores the background to that famous appearance and also studies the conservative backlash that O'Connor faced in the US after refusing to play the US national anthem before her concerts following the outbreak of the First Gulf War.
The new film, which airs on RTÉ One at 9:35 p.m. on Monday, January 8, additionally examines O'Connor's many interviews with RTÉ presenter Gay Byrne, who treated the Irish singer with a fatherly, if rather patronizing, fondness.
Finally, the documentary explores the later years of O'Connor's life, including the tragic death of her son Shane in January 2022. O'Connor moved to London the following June and Holmes, who collaborated with O'Connor on her final album, told the documentary that he believes the singer never recovered from her son's death.
"I totally believe people can die of a broken heart."
"SINÉAD" presents a celebratory yet tragic view of O'Connor's life and career and pays a poignant tribute to the Irish music star.
With contributions from David Holmes, Christy Moore, Imelda May and many more, this documentary reflects on Sineád O’Connor’s influence on Irish life and Irish people throughout her life.
Watch 'Sineád', Monday, 8 January at 9.35 pm @RTEOne ??https://t.co/PvfAdWNVi6 pic.twitter.com/wQ5OStf1Ai
— RTÉ (@rte) January 2, 2024
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