A fleeting installation honouring Sinéad O’Connor has been unveiled on a hillside overlooking the Irish seaside town of Bray, where she is to be buried on Tuesday.
A message in 30ft-tall letters spelling out “ÉIRE ♡ SINÉAD” that was visible from the air appeared on Sunday outside the County Wicklow town, south of Dublin, that was her home for 15 years.
The tribute, which used the Irish name for Ireland, appeared 11 days after police found the singer unresponsive in a south London flat, prompting shock and grief around the world. O’Connor was 56.
A statement from O’Connor’s family said she will be buried on Tuesday and that the public will be able to pay final respects when the cortege passes the Bray seafront.
“The route will begin at the Harbour Bar end of Strand Road and continue along the seafront to the other end of Strand Road where Sinéad and her family will then continue on to a private burial,” the family said. “Sinéad loved living in Bray and the people in it.
“With this procession, her family would like to acknowledge the outpouring of love for her from the people of Co Wicklow and beyond since she left last week to go to another place.”
No other details were released. O’Connor also used the Muslim name Shuhada’ Sadaqat.
The hillside sign appeared above a recently rediscovered second world war navigational landmark, which reads “Éire” and was used to guide pilots. The initiative was a collaboration between a Dublin-based creative agency, The Tenth Man, and signwriting and mural specialists Mack Signs. A drone filmed the installation from the air. The sign was made from recycled plastic and was to be removed on Sunday night.
“So much has been said about Sinéad since her recent passing, I’m not sure what is left to say,” said Richard Seabrooke, The Tenth Man’s executive creative director. “We just wanted to take the opportunity to mark the moment with a bold statement that symbolises what she meant to this little country of ours.”
Last week, the Samuel Beckett bridge over the Liffey was lit up with lyrics from O’Connor’s seminal 1990 hit, Nothing Compares 2 U.
