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Sinéad O’Connor's unusual final wish to her children revealed

Home> Celebrity> News

Published 12:44 27 Jan 2025 GMT

Sinéad O’Connor's unusual final wish to her children revealed

Sinéad O’Connor made a surprising request concerning how she wanted to be appear in her coffin

Liv Bridge

Liv Bridge

Sinéad O’Connor's unusual final wish to her children has been revealed.

The late Irish-born singer and social activist hit some nerves while she was alive, most notably when she tore up a photograph of the Pope during a Saturday Night Live performance in 1992 to protest against abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

O'Connor's protest triggered hundreds of complaints from viewers and saw her subsequently emerge to boos at the 30th anniversary tribute concert for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden in New York City just two weeks later.

The singer rustled some feathers when she was alive (Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
The singer rustled some feathers when she was alive (Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

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The singer was dubbed anti-American and also faced backlash for statements she made about Ireland's relationship with England.

The singer, who converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat, was also rocked by her son's death by suicide and her own personal mental health battles.

However, Time named O'Connor as one of the '100 women who defined the last century'. She left behind a lasting legacy, not only to music but to her activism for social change, when she died suddenly on July 26, 2023, at the age of 56.

The star was found dead in her flat in London, 18 months after her 17-year-old son, Shane, took his own life.

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Now, the Grammy winner's final wishes to her surviving children have been revealed and, in true O'Connor style, they're far from ordinary.

She was passionate about social justice (David Corio/Redferns)
She was passionate about social justice (David Corio/Redferns)

The 'Nothing Compares 2 U' hitmaker reportedly signed a document asking to be dressed in priest clothing in her coffin, years before her conversion to Islam in 2018, and to be buried with a Hebrew bible alongside her album, Theology, reports The Sun.

The mum-of-four sold 6.2 million albums worldwide, which she hopes her children can continue to 'milk' them after her death.

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The document, signed in 2013, read: “I direct that after my death, and at the discretion of any of my children who are then over 18, my albums are to be released so as to ‘milk it for what it’s worth’.”

She had planned her religious items to go to Shane while her youngster child, Yeshua Bonadio, to be given her collection of guitars.

O'Connor's ex-husband, music producer John Reynolds, is named as the executor of her estate.

She converted to Islam in 2018 (Lindsey Best for the Washington Post)
She converted to Islam in 2018 (Lindsey Best for the Washington Post)

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The couple tied the knot in 1987 but split in 1991.

She added to the document: "My children can dispense my ashes as they see fit.”

Meanwhile, Irish probate records also indicate her estate is worth £1.7 million, reduced to £1.4 million (around $1.4million) after other debts and funeral costs, but details of her British estate are yet to be released.

O'Connor's sudden death rocked the world when it was announced, and her cause of death was given as 'chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma'.

Featured Image Credit: RONCEN Patrick/KIPA/Sygma via Getty Images

Topics: Music, Celebrity, Religion, Ireland, UK News, US News, Money

Liv Bridge
Liv Bridge

Liv Bridge is a digital journalist who joined the UNILAD team in 2024 after almost three years reporting local news for a Newsquest UK paper, The Oldham Times. She's passionate about health, housing, food and music, especially Oasis...

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@livbridge

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