CONTENT WARNING: The following article discusses suicide.
Sinead O’Connor has posted a heartbreaking tribute to her 17-year-old son Shane O’Connor. He was found dead following a missing person’s report made by Sinead.
The news was confirmed by local police today, with a spokesperson saying “following the recovery of a body in the Bray area of Wicklow on Friday, 7th January 2022, a Missing Person Appeal in respect of Shane O’Connor, 17 years, has been stood down.”
In a few posts made to Twitter, Sinead paid tribute to her son, writing “My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God.
“May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”
She then posted a Youtube link to Bob Marley’s ‘Ride Natty Ride’, writing “This is for my Shaney. The light of my life. The lamp of my soul. My blue-eye baby. You will always be my light. We will always be together. No boundary can separate us.”
The news of Shane’s death comes after Sinead’s recent public criticism of the Tallaght Hospital in Dublin for not doing enough to look out for her son, despite him being on suicide watch.
She Tweeted: “I want to know why Lynn Ward at Taillight hospital who were supposed to have HCA’s supervise my child 24/7 have managed to let him out of their grasp this morning when 7 days ago he made two severe suicide attempts.”
“Like, how has a seventeen year old traumatised young person WHO WAS ON SUICIDE WATCH in Tallaght Hosptial’s Lynn Ward been able to go missing???” She continued.
“Hospital of course so far refusing to take any responsibility. Anything happens to my son on their watch? Lawsuits.”
Since the news of her son’s death, she has since Tweeted more criticisms levelled at the hospital and Tusla – the agency responsible for child protection in Ireland.
“26 hours after my son died in the so called care of the Irish State in the form of Tusla, I have yet to receive any contact from Tusla or their representatives.
“I was informed by Gardai of my son’s death and later I spoke with the GAL. No contact from Tusla is unacceptable.”
She continued: “My lawyer received this from Tusla’s lawyer. Can tusla pls finally note my child is not named “the remains”.”
“His name is Shane “Yes, I’m instructed that your client has been advised that the identification of the remains will take place this afternoon”.”
Sinead then posted confirmation of her formally identifying the remains of her son, saying “May God forgive the Irish State for I never will.”
She continued: “Now tusla want to discuss with me “a media release” no doubt wishing to have me join in their efforts to make this death of my child seem like it wasn’t at the hands of the Irish State.”
“Tusla and HSE to release dishonest ass covering statement in response to international questioning,” she wrote. “A load of lies, refusals to accept responsibility.”
“Couched as always in the omnipotent and false concern they claim to have for the privacy of the children who die on their watch.”
She finished up by saying “I’m going to take private time now to grieve my son. When I am ready I will be telling exactly how the Irish State in the ignorant, evil, self-serving, lying forms of Tusla and the HSE enabled and facilitated his death. Magdalene Ireland never went away. Ask the youth.”
Read more of what she wrote via her Twitter.
https://twitter.com/OhSineady/status/1479635810546819078?s=20
