Sinead O’Connor died of natural causes, coroner confirms | Ents & Arts News

Sinead O’Connor, who was found unresponsive at her home in southeast London last year, died of natural causes, a coroner has said.

The Irish singer died in July, aged 56.

No medical cause for her death was given at the time, with London Inner South Coroner’s Court saying a post-mortem examination would be conducted and the results could take several weeks.

Now, the coroner’s court has confirmed O’Connor died of natural causes and that it is no longer investigating her death.

“This is to confirm that Ms O’Connor died of natural causes,” the coroner’s court said in a statement. “The coroner has therefore ceased their involvement in her death.”

According to the Ministry of Justice, death by natural causes is when an illness or condition is not linked to external forces and there are no “unusual circumstances”.

After a post-mortem examination, a coroner can decide whether there are grounds for a natural death inquest, which can happen in a case of neglect or if the person was in police custody or prison at the time of death.

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O’Connor was best known for her 1990 song Nothing Compares 2 U, the Prince cover that made her a global star – partly due to its iconic video.

She was also known for her outspoken views on subjects such as religion, war and feminism, and infamously tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1992 to protest against abuse in the Catholic Church.

In 2018, she announced she had converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat, but continued to perform and record as Sinead O’Connor.

‘Wonderful plans were afoot’

Her funeral was held in Ireland in August, with stars including U2’s Bono and Bob Geldof attending, along with Ireland’s president Michael Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, as thousands of mourners lined the streets to pay their respects.

Following her death, the star’s management company revealed she had been finishing off a new album, reviewing potential tour dates, and discussing a possible film version of her book.

“Wonderful plans were afoot at this time,” 67 Management’s Kenneth and Carl Papenfus said as they paid tribute. “Testament and tribute to those who have put their hearts first for Sinead, to whom we are forever grateful.”

“It has been an honour to have worked with Sinead professionally, as musicians, producers and her artist managers over the last nine years, but much, much more than that Sinead was family. May she rest in peace.”

It was announced earlier this week that a musical tribute to O’Connor and her friend, The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan – who died in November after a long battle with ill-health – is planned at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Dropkick Murphys, Glen Hansard, who performed The Pogues’ hit Fairytale Of New York at MacGowan’s funeral in December, and The Mountain Goats are among the acts scheduled to perform at the event in March.