The Tragic Death Of Sinéad O'Connor's Son

This article contains mentions of suicide.

Sinéad O'Connor is mourning the loss of her son. The Irish singer's 17-year-old son, Shane Lunny, was found dead by authorities on January 7, 2022, two days after he was reported missing, according to The Guardian.

One day later, Sinéad announced the tragic news on Twitter, writing, "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."

In a now-deleted follow-up post, the "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer dedicated a Bob Marley song to her son. "This is for my Shaney. The light of my life. The lamp of my soul. My blue-eye baby," she wrote. "You will always be my light. We will always be together. No boundary can separate us."

Prior to his tragic death, Sinéad had appealed to her son on social media not to harm himself and noted that he had been hospitalized following two suicide attempts, per People. As Sinéad and her fans continue to mourn Shane's death, let's take a look back at their relationship below.

Sinéad O'Connor had a close relationship with her son, Shane Lunny, according to The Mirror, and many fans have remarked how similar the mother and son looked appearance-wise. Shane was born in 2004 as the second youngest of Sinéad's four children. His father is producer Donal Lunny. Sinéad and Lunny split up shortly after Shane's birth. After welcoming Shane, Sinéad announced her intention to retire from music but eventually returned.

Like Shane, Sinéad has struggled with mental health over the years. She revealed that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder in her 2021 memoir, "Rememberings," (via People) , and has spent time in and out of psychiatric facilities.  In May 2021, she revealed that Shane had accompanied her to get her Covid-19 vaccine, with fans praising Shane for being a good son (via RSPV Live).

Our condolences go out to Sinéad and her family.

Sinéad O'Connor and her late son, Shane Lunny, had a tight-knit connection from the start. After Shane's 2022 death, Sinéad released some concerning tweets and was subsequently hospitalized for a time, CNN wrote. Months later, amid her grief, Sinéad decided to cancel her live performances for 2022, per Page Six. "Thank you to Sinead's friends and fans whose support and understanding we hold in the highest esteem throughout this period," Sinéad's management said in a statement. "The love being shown has been a source of great comfort and peace for Sinead."

During a 2021 chat, Sinéad told People that Shane was a "real mommy's boy" and also stated, "He just loves his mommy since the day he was born." As Today reported, in her memoir, Sinéad wrote that Shane was a "genius," as well as an "extremely special character." The musician additionally noted her and Shane's similar qualities. "He is the child who is most like me, I believe, to look at and by his nature — although he is of course the version of me with logic and reason," Sinéad said of Shane. Leading up to her unexpected death, Sinéad spoke of Shane through her social media account.

Just prior to her devastating July 2023 death, Sinéad O'Connor discussed her son Shane Lunny on social media. As Sky News reported, Sinéad took to Twitter to post a video of herself in which she mentioned the intense grief related to Shane's saddening death. "You know, the way your kid — unfortunately, passing away — it isn't good for one's body or soul, to be fair," Sinéad said before showing viewers some items in her living space and revealing plans to make new music. "There is my new Martin Johnny Cash guitar that I am gonna write some tunes on," Sinéad added.

Additionally, over a week before her passing, Sinéad posted a throwback photo of herself and Shane via Twitter while sharing a heartbreaking message alongside the hashtag #lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022 and a series of crying emojis. "Been living as undead night creature since. . He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul," Sinéad wrote. "We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him." 

No cause of death has been revealed for Sinéad. TMZ reports that there will be an autopsy, but London police do not believe there was foul play.  

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org