Tag: funeral

  • Mourners in Ireland say goodbye to singer Sinead O’Connor 

    By Associated Press

    LONDON: Throngs of fans lined the streets of Sinead O’Connor’s former hometown in Ireland to bid farewell to the gifted singer as her funeral procession passed by Tuesday following a private memorial service.

    A vintage VW camper van with rooftop speakers blasting Bob Marley’s song “Natural Mystic” led a hearse at walking pace through a thick crowd of admirers along the waterfront in Bray. O’Connor said she loved Marley’s music.

    Devotees of O’Connor’s singing and those touched by her sometimes-troubled life tossed roses and other flowers on the hearse.

    A group that had been waiting for well over an hour outside O’Connor’s former home, singing her songs at times, began to clap as four police officers on motorcycles leading the cortege approached and the procession came to a halt.

    They snapped photos through the windows of the hearse where her coffin was dwarfed by a pile of blue hydrangeas and pink roses.

    Ruth O’Shea, who had come to the coastal town of Bray south of Dublin with her two daughters, became teary as she spoke of O’Connor’s significance, saying she had “meant the world” to her.

    “She was so rebellious and empowering and inspiring, and my mother hated me listening to her music,” O’Shea said. “She was just brilliant. Brilliant — I loved her, and then the kids, I suppose by osmosis because I played her when they were both growing up, they’d go, ‘Oh God, mom’s listening to Sinead O’Connor, she’s obviously had a rough day.’ She just gave me hope. And I just loved her, I loved her.”

    O’Connor, 56, was found unresponsive at her London home on July 26. Police have not shared a cause of death, though they said her death was not suspicious.

    O’Connor’s family had invited the public to pay their respects during the funeral procession.

    “Sinead loved living in Bray and the people in it,” her family said in a statement. “With this procession, her family would like to acknowledge the outpouring of love for her from the people of Wicklow (county) and beyond, since she left … to go to another place.”

    Fans tucked handwritten notes and flowers behind a chain wrapped around a granite post at the entrance to her former home, thanking her for sharing her voice and her music. One sign listed causes that the singer had expressed support for, including welcoming refugees.

    “Thanks for your short special life,” one note read. “Gone too soon.”

    O’Connor, a multi-octave mezzo soprano of extraordinary emotional range who was recognizable by her shaved head, began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame.

    She became a sensation in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which topped charts from Europe to Australia.

    She was a critic of the Roman Catholic Church well before allegations of sexual abuse were widely reported. She made headlines in October 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II while appearing on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and denounced the church as the enemy.

    She was public about her struggles with mental illness. When her teenage son Shane died by suicide last year, O’Connor tweeted there was “no point living without him” and she was soon hospitalized. Her final tweet, sent July 17, read “For all mothers of Suicided children,” and linked to a Tibetan compassion mantra.

    Since her death, celebrities have paid tribute to her, and ordinary people have shared acts of kindness she performed.

    LONDON: Throngs of fans lined the streets of Sinead O’Connor’s former hometown in Ireland to bid farewell to the gifted singer as her funeral procession passed by Tuesday following a private memorial service.

    A vintage VW camper van with rooftop speakers blasting Bob Marley’s song “Natural Mystic” led a hearse at walking pace through a thick crowd of admirers along the waterfront in Bray. O’Connor said she loved Marley’s music.

    Devotees of O’Connor’s singing and those touched by her sometimes-troubled life tossed roses and other flowers on the hearse.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    A group that had been waiting for well over an hour outside O’Connor’s former home, singing her songs at times, began to clap as four police officers on motorcycles leading the cortege approached and the procession came to a halt.

    They snapped photos through the windows of the hearse where her coffin was dwarfed by a pile of blue hydrangeas and pink roses.

    Ruth O’Shea, who had come to the coastal town of Bray south of Dublin with her two daughters, became teary as she spoke of O’Connor’s significance, saying she had “meant the world” to her.

    “She was so rebellious and empowering and inspiring, and my mother hated me listening to her music,” O’Shea said. “She was just brilliant. Brilliant — I loved her, and then the kids, I suppose by osmosis because I played her when they were both growing up, they’d go, ‘Oh God, mom’s listening to Sinead O’Connor, she’s obviously had a rough day.’ She just gave me hope. And I just loved her, I loved her.”

    O’Connor, 56, was found unresponsive at her London home on July 26. Police have not shared a cause of death, though they said her death was not suspicious.

    O’Connor’s family had invited the public to pay their respects during the funeral procession.

    “Sinead loved living in Bray and the people in it,” her family said in a statement. “With this procession, her family would like to acknowledge the outpouring of love for her from the people of Wicklow (county) and beyond, since she left … to go to another place.”

    Fans tucked handwritten notes and flowers behind a chain wrapped around a granite post at the entrance to her former home, thanking her for sharing her voice and her music. One sign listed causes that the singer had expressed support for, including welcoming refugees.

    “Thanks for your short special life,” one note read. “Gone too soon.”

    O’Connor, a multi-octave mezzo soprano of extraordinary emotional range who was recognizable by her shaved head, began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame.

    She became a sensation in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which topped charts from Europe to Australia.

    She was a critic of the Roman Catholic Church well before allegations of sexual abuse were widely reported. She made headlines in October 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II while appearing on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and denounced the church as the enemy.

    She was public about her struggles with mental illness. When her teenage son Shane died by suicide last year, O’Connor tweeted there was “no point living without him” and she was soon hospitalized. Her final tweet, sent July 17, read “For all mothers of Suicided children,” and linked to a Tibetan compassion mantra.

    Since her death, celebrities have paid tribute to her, and ordinary people have shared acts of kindness she performed.

  • Cardi B offers to pay funeral costs of Bronx fire Victims

    By Associated Press

    UNITED STATES: Cardi B has offered to pay the burial costs for all 17 people killed in a fire that ripped through a New York City high-rise.

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday that the Grammy-winning rapper had offered financial relief for victims of the fire in the Bronx, where she grew up.

    Many of the victims had ties to Gambia, and the families of several of the victims planned to bury them in their West African homeland. Cardi B has committed to paying the repatriation expenses for the victims who will be buried in Gambia, the mayor’s office said.

    “I’m extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still. So, when I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help,” Cardi B in a statement.

    “I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal. I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy.”

    The fire, which was New York City’s deadliest in three decades, was sparked by a faulty space heater, according to authorities.

  • Several bodies recovered from river Ganga in Buxar, funeral is being administered

    On Monday, at least 30 bodies were found in the Ganges river in Chausa block of Buxar district of Bihar, creating an atmosphere of fear in the area during this Corona period. The district administration has claimed that the recovered bodies have been washed away, which are said to be about three to four days ago. A police official said on Monday that about 30 bodies were washed away on the banks of river Ganga in Chausa block. All dead bodies are in a deformed condition

    Buxar District Magistrate Aman Sameer said that the Sub-Divisional Officer and Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Buxar were sent to the concerned area to investigate the incident. He said that in the course of investigation, it has been revealed that the bodies found in the Ganges river are three to four days old, hence the reason is clear that the bodies are not from Buxar district.

    Subdivision officer returned after investigating K. Upadhyay quoted the villagers as saying that the bodies are not local, but have come from other places after flowing in the Ganges river for a day or two. He said that these bodies have come from the border state in the Ganges river. In this case, the District Magistrate said that talks have been held in this matter with the District Magistrates of the border districts and in future they have been instructed to guard against such incidents. He said the yacht would be patrolled in the area. A police officer said that a post-mortem of all the bodies recovered would be done. Following the government’s direction, free arrangements have been made for the funeral of dead persons infected with Kovid-19 infection in Buxar district. District Magistrate Sameer informed that wood is available at the prescribed price for the cremation of dead bodies of common dead persons. He said that the cremation of the recovered bodies will also be done at the government expense with full legal legislation.