Sinéad O’Connorwasn’t just a music legend, she was also a mother.
On July 26, the Irish singer’s familyconfirmed in a statement to RTEthatshe has died at age 56.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” the statement read. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
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Though she dealt withseveral personal struggles in her life, including an abusive relationship with her mother as a child and mental health struggles, she was incredibly proud of her children. She primarily kept them out of the spotlight, but in 2021,O’Connor spoke fondly of them with PEOPLE.
Here’s everything to know about her four children.
Jake Reynolds
At the time, O’Connor excitedlyannounced the news on Facebook, posting a cartoon that spelled out, “It’s a boy,” alongside the caption: “Don’t mess with abuelita.”
Speaking with PEOPLE in 2021, O’Connor said that “I see [my children] as much as they want to see me,” which had become less frequent with her adult children lately “because they’re just so busy themselves with their children.”
She also revealed that her two eldest are in the food services profession: Jake is a chef, and Roisin is a pastry chef.
Roisin Waters
Despite having a “great singing voice,” O’Connor told PEOPLE in 2021, she was relieved her daughter decided to be a pastry chef instead of going into the music industry. “I used to be frightened of her getting into the music business because I thought they would treat her like they treat me,” she explained. “I didn’t want that.”
Shane Lunny
In 2004, O’Connor welcomed her third child, a son named Shane Lunny, with Irish singer Donal Lunny. Speaking with PEOPLE in 2021, she called Shane “a real mommy’s boy … He just loves his mommy since the day he was born.”
In the interview, O’Connor added of her then-teenage son that he was less focused on going to college, instead hoping to be follow in his mom’s footsteps.
“He’s the one of them that keeps saying he wants to be a musician,” she said. “He’s a brilliant wordsmith. When he was 8, he was sent to a particular organization that assessed his intellect, and they said that in his use of vocabulary, he was the age 16. He’s a master of English. So he wants to be a rapper in particular, which I’d say he’d be great at because he’s a brilliant wordsmith.”
Shortly before O’Connor’s own death in 2023,she posted another tribute to her son. “Been living as undead night creature since,” his death, she wrote on Twitter. “He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him.”
Yeshua Bonadio
O’Connor’s fourth child,a son named Yeshua Bonadio, was born in 2006. She shares Yeshua with Frank Bonadio. In 2021, O’Connor spoke about Yeshua’s interests, noting he was also an “incredible musician … [He] plays piano and everything incredibly and an incredible singing voice.”
However, she noted that Yeshua “could do anything” career-wise. “He’s half American, so he’s interested in going to college in America,” she said at the time. “His father is a scientist. So we’ll see. But I would not be surprised if he got into music, because he likes money.”
source: people.com
