Nothing Compares to Shinead O'Connor
- Aqasa Nu
- Jul 26, 2023
- 2 min read
On Wednesday 26th July aged 56, Shuhada’ Sadaqat, known widely as Sinead O’Connor died. She was a mother, a global music icon, women's rights activist, campaigner and a care leaver.
Born in Glenageary, County Dublin in 1966 she grew up experiencing astonishing abuse which she has bravely spoken about and documented in her book ‘rememberings’;
Sinead was taken into care at age 15 and placed in Dublin’s An Grianan Training Centre, one of the notorious Magdalene laundries set up to incarcerate young girls deemed to be promiscuous.
One of the nun’s bought her a guitar, set her up with a music teacher which was the yellow brick road to her hugely successful music career, winning a Grammy Award in 1989. But she refused to grow her hair long and wear short skirts, instead choosing to cut her hair short, allowing her music, her voice to do the talking/marketing for itself.
With her success she used her platform to stand up for women rights and showed the world what collective activism can achieve, being part of the ‘repeal the 8th’ campaign which contributed to the overthrowing of the ban on abortion in Ireland.
In October 1992 on ‘Saturday Night Live’ after performing she held up a picture of Pope John Paul II and ripped it to pieces, a protest against widespread child sexual abuse by the Catholic Church. Nine years later this widespread sexual abuse was admitted by the Pope.
Sinead wrestled with Bipolar Disorder, fibromyalgia, she wrestled with the abuse she had suffered in her childhood and the death of her 17 year old son. She wrestled with a lot.
But Sinead was a badass, she spoke truth to power and helped change Ireland and the world for the better.
Sinead we say ‘nothing compares 2 U’;
Fortunately there’s a film which captures some of this woman’s extraordinary life;
If anything you have read has triggered difficult memories or suicidal thoughts please contact the Samaritans;
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