Sinead O’Connor reveals her son Shane, 17, planned his funeral a month before taking his own life

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Sinead O’Connor has published a storm of tweets in which she alleged her her 17-year-old son was discharged from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) just one month before his death despite making ‘detailed funeral plans’.

The Irish singer took to social media yesterday to rail against CAHMS, the child and family agency Tusla and the Irish state for ‘failing’ Shane, 17, who took his own life by hanging himself after he went missing from hospital last week.   

The heartbroken mother, 55, confirmed Saturday on Twitter that her ‘beautiful’ son Shane, who she described as ‘the light of her life’, had ‘decided to end his earthly struggle’. 

But O’Connor last night went on a tirade in which she promised Tusla ‘a storm is coming’ and said the only contact she had received from the agency was from the media office trying to ‘avoid negative publicity’.

She went on to declare that ‘suicide will not bring you peace’ and said ‘the next poor well meaning sod who says to me about my son “at least he is at peace now” is going to get their lights punched out’.  

The Nothing Compares 2 U singer had been to identify the body of her son who was last seen in Tallaght, South Dublin, on Friday morning. He had gone missing from hospital a day earlier. 

After paying tribute to Shane on Saturday, the Irish singer launched a ruthless tirade against child mental health services, child and family agency Tulsa and the Irish state for ‘failing’ her son, before hitting out at those saying her son was now ‘at peace’.

‘Please don’t imagine I am less than keenly aware I failed my child, alongside Tusla and the HSE and the Irish State. We all failed him. Welcome to Ireland,’ she wrote.

‘Suicide will not bring you peace. It is a lie. Therefore the next poor well meaning sod who says to me about my son “at least he is at peace now” is going to get their lights punched out. How does anyone knows he’s at peace?

‘I can tell you his face was as tormented as it’s been for months. No difference at all.’

O’Connor went on to rail against Tusla, promising retribution for her son’s death and alleging that a CAMHS psychiatrist said ‘planning a wedding is no different to planning a funeral’ upon her son being discharged, despite him having left ‘detailed funeral plans’. 

‘Message to Tusla, a storm is coming that you haven’t rehearsed for. Kids are dying in your care every day. Now my kid is one of them. Big mistake.

‘My child has now been dead on Tusla’s watch for over 48 hours and the only contact I have had from anyone representing Tusla was yesterday from their media office, concerned for themselves over the negative publicity.

‘A month ago Shane was brought to CAMHS after vanishing leaving suicide notes including detailed funeral plans. They discharged him. Said he had no plans. When objections were raised by the adult with him she was told “planning a funeral is no different to planning a wedding”

‘That was the CAMHS psychiatrist… I’m here to tell CAMHS that planning my child’s funeral is nothing remotely similar to planning his wedding. Which will now never happen. Because you’re unfit for purpose.’

The Irish singer also alleged her son said he learned how to make the noose he used to commit suicide on the computer in the child’s psychiatric ward at Linn Dara hospital. 

O’Connor wrote on January 8: ‘I have now formally identified the remains of my son, Shane. May God forgive the Irish State for I never will.

‘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 statement in response to international questioning. 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.

‘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.

‘And any statement out of Tusla suggesting they a) did their best b) care or c) have deepest sympathies for anyone here but their lawyers, is a load of crap trap that has killed too many kids and it isn’t going to wash this time. Too many kids are dying on Tusla’s watch.’

A HSE spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘The HSE cannot comment on individual cases when to do so might reveal information in relation to identifiable individuals, breaching the ethical requirement on us to observe our duty of confidentiality.’

MailOnline has contacted the child and family agency Tusla for comment. 

Sinead’s comments come after police released the final photograph of Shane before his death.    

In the picture, which was part of a renewed police appeal to find Shane, he was seen wearing a black hoodie with a colourful print design, dark tracksuit bottoms, a plum coloured T-shirt and white trainers.

Sinead, who changed her name to Shuhada’ Davitt in 2018, paid tribute to her ‘beautiful’ son on Saturday.

In a tweet, she wrote: ‘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:’

Shane was one of Sinead’s four children, along with Jake Reynolds, Roisin Waters and Yeshua Francis Neil Bonadio.

Sinead later tweeted a Bob Marley song which she dedicated to Shane, heartbreakingly describing her son as her ‘blue-eye baby’ and the ‘light of my life’. 

She penned: ‘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.’

Shane went missing earlier this week and was last seen in Tallaght, South Dublin, on Friday, with Gardai launching an appeal to find the teenager.

Taking to social media after Shane went missing, Sinead threatened Tallaght Hospital with a lawsuit if ‘anything happens to my son’, alleging that her son went missing from the hospital while on suicide watch.

Gardai renewed their appeal for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Shane on Friday, writing: ‘Shane was last seen this [Friday] morning in the Tallaght, Dublin 24 area. Shane is described as being 5′ 6’ in height with short brown hair and blue eyes.

‘When last seen, he was wearing a black hoodie with a large print design in the centre, dark tracksuit pants, a wine coloured t-shirt and white runners. Gardaí are concerned for Shane’s welfare.’ 

The police force reportedly confirmed on Saturday that the search for Shane had been ‘stood down’ after a body had been found. 

A spokesman told The Sun: ‘Following the recovery of a body in the Bray area of Wicklow on Friday, January 7, 2022, a Missing Person Appeal in respect of Shane O’Connor, 17 years, has been stood down.’

Representatives of Sinead O’Connor said: ‘Regrettably, we can confirm the passing of Shane O’Connor.

‘We politely ask for respect and appreciation for Sinead, Shane’s father and Shane’s family at this most difficult time.’

Taking to Twitter after Shane went missing, Sinead wrote: ‘Shane, your life is precious. God didn’t chisel that beautiful smile on your beautiful face for nothing. My world would collapse without you. 

‘You are my heart. Please don’t stop it from beating. Please don’t harm yourself. Go to the Gardai and let’s get you to hospital.’

She later took to the social media platform to threaten the hospital where she said her son had been staying with a ‘lawsuit’ if ‘anything happens to my son’.

She wrote: ‘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??? 

‘Hospital of course so far refusing to take any responsibility. Anything happens to my son on their watch? Lawsuits. 

‘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.’ (sic) 

Another tweet read: ‘This is a message for my son, Shane. Shane, it’s not funny any more all this going missing. 

‘You are scaring the c**p out of me. Could you please do the right thing and present yourself at a Gardai station. If you are with Shane please call the Gardai for his safety.’ 

The Pogues singer Shane MacGowan paid tribute to Shane following his death, saying he ‘prayed’ that the 17-year-old could be ‘at peace’, as he said that Sinead has always been there for him.

Tweets from his official account read: ‘Sinead you have always been there for me and for so many people, you have been a comfort & a soul who is not afraid to feel the pain of the suffering. 

‘You have always tried to heal & help. I pray that you can be comforted & find strength, healing & peace in your own sorrow & loss. 

‘He was a beautiful boy and I loved him. I pray that he can be at peace and also be able to stay connected with you. Love Shane.’ (sic)

Last February, the mother-of-four asked her fans to pray for her teenage son Shane in a worrying cryptic post shared to Twitter. 

She revealed that she’d had a ‘hideous day from hell’ as she made the appeal, writing: ‘Any spare prayers out there, pls stick one in for my son, Shane. The very light of my life.’

Although she did not disclose what happened, she added: ‘Hideous day from hell.’  

She previously appealed for help with her teenage son after he went missing in January 2019.

 

She tweeted at the time: ‘My sweet 14 yr old son has been going missing a lot and is currently missing for the last two days.

‘If you are a parent in whose house he has been staying or is staying, please call Dundrum Gardai. Not calling them is not helping him.’

Shane was eventually found ‘safe and well’ three days after going missing from their Dublin home. 

Sinead has been married four times and has four children. 

Her eldest son is 34-year-old Jake Reynolds, whose father is John Reynolds. They married in 1987 before splitting in 1991.

Her daughter Roisin, 25, is the result of her relationship with journalist John Waters.

She never lived with John and they fought for custody of their daughter before it was decided she would live with him in Dublin.

Sinead had her son Shane with Irish folk musician Donal Lunny and the pair split shortly after Shane’s arrival. 

Her youngest child is 15-year-old Yeshua Francis Neil Bonadio, who she shares with American businessman Frank Bonadio. They split in 2017, a year after his birth.

Sinead soared to fame in the 90s with hit song Nothing Compares 2 U, which was named the number one world single by the Billboard Music Awards, while her debut album The Lion and the Cobra charted internationally.

She controversially ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on prime-time television in 1992, but last year admitted in her new book Rememberings that she had no regrets about the stunt. 

‘My intention had always been to destroy my mother’s photo of the Pope. It represented lies and liars and abuse,’ she wrote. 

‘I never knew when or where or how I would destroy it, but destroy it I would when the right moment came,’ she continued. 

Sinead explained that after waking up ‘p**sed off’ she decided that she would tear the image up during her performance on Saturday Night Live.  

‘I decide tonight is the night. I know if I do this there’ll be war. But I don’t care. I know my Scripture. Nothing can touch me. I reject the world…’

The fall-out from Sinead’s stunt was largely unforgiving, with many claiming the incident ruined her career. 

However, the hit-maker said she did not feel the need to be liked by others or accepted by the music industry. 

‘I’m not a pop star. I’m just a troubled soul who needs to scream into a mic now and then. I don’t need to be number one.’ 

‘I don’t need to be liked. I don’t need to be welcome at the AMAs [American Music Awards],’ she wrote.

In an interview with The New York Times last month, Sinead described her decision to rip up the photo as ‘brilliant’. 

However, she said of the public backlash she received afterwards: ‘It was very traumatising. It was open season on treating me like a crazy b***h.’ 

In 1999, she became Mother Bernadette Marie after being ordained by bishop Michael Cox of the Latin Tridentine church. 

The following year Sinead revealed she was a lesbian in an interview with American magazine Curve. 

She told the publication: ‘I’m a lesbian. I haven’t been very open about that, and throughout most of my life I’ve gone out with blokes because I haven’t necessarily been terribly comfortable about being a lesbian.’

And in 2014, Sinead spoke further about her sexuality telling Pride Source she ‘wouldn’t give a s**t’ if the person she loves was a man or woman. 

In 2017, Sinead changed her name to Magda Davitt in 2017 so she could be ‘free of parental slave names’ and just one year later, she started using the name Shuhada Sadaqat after converting to Islam in October 2018. 

In November 2020, Sinead said she was taking a break from performing as she went into a year-long rehabilitation programme and all her 2021 gigs were called off.

Revealing the news, she said she had ‘lost someone beloved’ and had endured a ‘traumatic six years’.

Sinead admitted she has been ‘addicted to weed for 34 years’ but ‘became briefly addicted’ to another drug following her loss. 

Apologising to her fans in a heartfelt statement, she penned: ‘Message for folks who have tickets for next year’s shows: those shows are being postponed until 2022 so that I may go into a one year trauma and addiction treatment program because I had a very traumatic six years and this year was the end of it but now recovery starts.’ 

She continued: ‘This year I lost someone beloved and has affected me so badly that I became briefly addicted to a drug other than weed.

‘I have been addicted to weed for 34 years. A lifetime.

‘I grew up with a lot of trauma and abuse. I then went straight into the music business. And never learned really how to make a normal life. Never took proper time to heal. Wasn’t ready to either.’

The Nothing Compares 2 U hitmaker then pleaded with her fans to be ‘supportive’ and keep hold of their tickets for 2022, when she vowed to return with a new album. 

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details.