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Sinead O’Connor describes ‘lovely Hindu’ send-off for son Shane

Sinead O’Connor describes ‘lovely Hindu’ send-off for son Shane

Sinead O’Connor has said goodbye to her son Shane with a “lovely Hindu ceremony” following his death aged 17.

O’Connor announced Shane’s death on Twitter last Saturday (8 January), writing that he “decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God”.

​​The “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer went on to fiercely criticise the Irish health service HSE, the child and family agency Tusla, and the Irish state overall. She later apologised for “lashing out” on social media.

On Saturday (15 January), O’Connor – who is Muslim – tweeted that she and her loved ones had just held a Hindu ceremony to remember Shane.

“We just said goodbye to our beautiful angel, Shaney,” she wrote. “Very lovely Hindu ceremony. Shane will have loved it. He was always chanting ‘Om. Shanti’.”

O’Connor continued: “I put a few packs of fags in the coffin for him in case there’s none in heaven. He’ll have loved that too. Om. Shanti.”

Earlier this week, it was reported that Shane’s death will be referred to the National Review Panel (NRP) for investigation.

The NRP was established in 2010 to investigate serious incidents, including the deaths of children in care and/or known to the child protection system.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.