Getty Sinead O'Connor.
The cause of death for singer Sinead O’Connor was the result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, according to the Irish Independent.
The Irish publication revealed O’Connor’s cause of death on July 27, the day after the first anniversary of her July 26, 2023, death, citing her death certificate. She was also suffering from a respiratory infection when she died at age 56, the Irish Independent reported.
Her death certificate says O’Connor died from “exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma together with low grade lower respiratory tract infection,” the Irish Independent reported.
According to the World Health Organization, “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease causing restricted airflow and breathing problems. It is sometimes called emphysema or chronic bronchitis. In people with COPD, the lungs can get damaged or clogged with phlegm.”
According to People Magazine, O’Connor was found “unresponsive” at her London home.
Sinead O’Connor’s Husband Formally Registered Her Cause of Death, Reports Say
GettySinead O’Connor in 2011.
According to The Irish Independent, O’Connor’s husband, John Reynolds, “formally registered” her cause of death in London, England.
Her family confirmed her death to The Irish Times when it first happened. However, no specific cause of death was given at that time.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” the singer’s family said in a statement to the Irish Times, which first broke news of her death on July 26, 2023.
According to Page Six, the coroner said in January that Sinead O’Connor had died of “natural causes,” but wasn’t more specific at that time.
The coroner’s website, the day after she died, read, “The death of Sinéad O’Connor in Lambeth was notified to the Coroner on Wednesday 26th July 2023. No medical cause of death was given. The Coroner therefore directed an autopsy to be conducted. The results of this may not be available for several weeks.”
Sinead O’Connor Was Reeling From Her Son’s Death at the Time of Her Passing
@SeffSaid 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022.
Been living as undead night creature since. . He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. 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
At the time of her death, O’Connor was struggling to come to terms with the death by suicide of her son, according to posts on her X page.
“Been living as undead night creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. 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,” she wrote on July 17, 2023.
Rolling Stone reported that O’Connor had confirmed that her son took his own life after leaving a suicide watch ward at a hospital.
According to The Irish Examiner, O’Connor released 10 studio albums over her career, the most recent in 2014.
“As a person, I mean my god, everything she did. She was just so her own person,” broadcaster Dave Fanning said after she died, according to The Irish Examiner. “Sure, the fiery temperament. But the heartache of growing up and the family falling apart etc.”
O’Connor, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, caused controversy when she tore up a photo of the Catholic Pope on television, according to The Irish Examiner.