People gathered on Thursday evening outside the Wall of Fame in Dublin to pay their respects to the “beautiful soul” of Sinead O’Connor.
The dozens of people at Temple Bar spoke about the influence her music had on their lives, and called for her death to “light an absolute fire under all of us” to tackle how mental health and children are treated in Ireland.
O’Connor died on Thursday aged 56.
The Grammy-winning singer, originally from Dublin, was found unresponsive at a home in south London on Wednesday.
The crowd sang two of her most famous songs, Black Boys On Mopeds and Nothing Compares 2 U.
One person said O’Connor was a “model and activist that I always look up to”.
“I never got the opportunity to meet her in person but I would like to honour her beautiful soul today and hopefully she is in a better place and God bless her,” the person said.
Speaking of the singer’s social impact, another said: “Those conversations I don’t have, but Sinead the celebrity did, the A-list celebrity. Let’s have those conversations every day, let’s keep that up, let’s not stop it.
“Let’s listen to her music, it’s a banger, it’s so good.”
The portrait of O’Connor in Temple Bar was lit up, with flowers and photographs left at the foot of the wall which features other stars of the Irish music industry such as U2, Bob Geldof and Luke Kelly.
Politicians, musicians, actors and charities around the world have paid tribute to O’Connor for her contributions to the music industry and raising awareness of social issues.
She made headlines in 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on US TV show Saturday Night Live, sparking a ferocious backlash.
The musician, who spent time in a notorious Magdalene laundry set up to house “fallen women”, frequently spoke out about the child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.
Text on a mural of O’Connor outside Temple Bar reads: “Sinead, you were right all along. We were wrong. So sorry.”
A woman at the vigil spoke of the impact of O’Connor speaking out about institutional abuse, saying: “I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much for a stranger but I think she held bits of generations of this nation in her heart.
“She was saying things before we could say them. She held our pain about the institutionalised sexual abuse, the threat of being sent … to a Magdalene laundry if you misbehaved, and she held that along with the courage that we weren’t able to fully live, and so when she died yesterday it felt like that part of us went with her.”
Another added: “She stood up for people, she stood up for what was right. She always did what she thought was the right thing, she acted without consequence or without thought of what might happen to her.”
She described O’Connor as “a free spirit … an incredible artist, an incredible lyricist and musician”.
The vigil heard a poem written in memory of O’Connor.
“She kicked down the barriers in her Doc Marten boots, baldheaded deliverer of unwanted truths,” the speaker read.
“The industry wanted her to change who she was, so she shaved off her hair and broke unwritten laws.
“Truthful witness, fiery, fierce and bold to the core, goddess of 90s she bellowed her roar. The world wasn’t ready for what she had to say, stifled by a church that hurts us to this day.
“Nothing compared to her and no one came near, her voice was her weapon and her words are her spear.
“For Sinead, our sister, was always ahead of her time, love and human compassion perhaps her only crime. She used her music to protest, to open our eyes, I hope the next generation will learn from her cries.
“She, a young woman, was what was needed back then, so let’s rip up more pictures, expose the corruption of men and women who have lost their souls to greed. For they tried to bury Sinead, and forgot she is a seed.”
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Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
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10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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