The Irish singer’s death certificate was officially registered by her ex-husband in Lambeth, London.
Sinéad O’Connor died at the age of 56 PHOTO: Archive
The Irish singer died at the age of 56 in July 2023. She was found breathless at her home in Herne Hill, south London, and was pronounced dead at the scene, writes independent.co.uk.
Six months later, in January this year, a coroner declared the “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer died of natural causes.
In a statement, a spokesman for Southwark Coroner’s Court said: “This is to confirm that Mrs O’Connor died of natural causes. The coroner therefore ceased involvement in her death.”
Now, as reported by The Irish Independent, O’Connor’s death certificate – which was registered on Wednesday by her ex-husband John Reynolds in Lambeth, London – has revealed the exact cause of death, namely chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
As the NHS explains, COPD refers to a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
The death certificate states that the musician also suffered from “a lower-grade respiratory tract infection.”
Her death was certified by Julian Morris, senior coroner for Inner South London, after a post-mortem examination without an inquest.
The Brit Award winner was laid to rest in Bray, County Wicklow, last August in a ceremony attended by Irish government officials, relatives, friends and fellow musicians.
U2’s Bono, Bob Geldof and Irish President Michael D Higgins were among the guests as the procession passed O’Connor’s old home in Bray, where thousands of fans lined the streets.
Earlier this week, Dublin’s wax museum was forced to withdraw a newly unveiled figure of O’Connor after the late singer’s family complained that it did not “look likenot at all with her”.
When the figure was unveiled on Thursday, many complained that it didn’t look like O’Connor, with her brother John mistaking her for “hideous”.
He said he was shocked when he first saw an image of the figurine online and said it didn’t look like her “not at all”.
“When I saw it online yesterday, I was shocked. I thought she looked somewhere between a mannequin and something out of Thunderbirds.” he said during an appearance on RTE Radio’s Liveline show on Friday.
The museum team met on Friday morning and decided to withdraw the waxwork, admitting that “it can be better” and promising to create a “more accurate representation”.
O’Connor’s death last year followed the death of her 17-year-old son Shane, who committed suicide in January 2022.
Following Shane’s death, O’Connor stated that she would never perform again as she had “nothing left to sing about”, and subsequently canceled her planned tours. She published a heartfelt post about her son’s death days before her own death.
A month after their mother’s death, the three surviving children issued a public statement thanking “countless”
supporters who shared their condolences and well wishes after her death.
“Sinéad’s children, along with Sinéad’s extended family, wish to thank the countless kind people who have sympathized and offered condolences on Sinéad’s recent death.” they wrote in The Irish Times.
“Their helpful support for the family is greatly appreciated.”
