Sinéad
Remembering an icon & my latest piece
When I saw the breaking news alert that Sinéad O’Connor had died, I felt it in my body. The inner monologue went something like: She’s dead… She’s gone… How can this be true?...
You repeat it, trying to convince yourself that one of the greatest artists we’re ever likely to see is no longer with us. You feel silly for having such a big reaction given that you never met the woman, but her music has meant so much to me.
In the weeks after my mother died, this was the soundtrack to my tears. I can’t hear it now without crying. I loved this jaunty track about a wolf getting married. And the way she stumbles and makes a mistake in this duet. Or how my insides start to quiver when I hear the opening bars of this.
Reading her book, I was struck by how she understood her life and the impact of her music. The things she was best known for were often the things that mattered least to her. Her sense of herself diverged wildly from how she was portrayed in the media, something that likely points to the sexism she experienced when she first became known. Her struggles with trauma and mental health, her striving for a spiritual home, even her haircut all made her somewhat illegible to a mainstream press eager to put her in a box.
But Sinéad couldn’t be tamed. In the way all icons do, she defined herself and her era.
Lots of people who received this newsletter aren’t based in Ireland. Most people will know this incredible song & the video that accompanies it. Many might also remember her controversial appearance on Saturday Night Live. But Sinéad was so much more than that.
As the world remembers her, I hope more people will discover her incredible body of work. Everyone has their favourite songs, their favourite moments, their favourite memories. I’ve linked some of mine above. This is a moment to celebrate her by reengaging with her art. It’s time to celebrate her astounding talent and be grateful for all she has given us.
I really recommend her book. Her voice and presence lifts off the page and it was a pure pleasure to spend time in her mind.
I was very moved by this documentary. After seeing it, I sat with friends in the lobby of the cinema and together, we processed. Witnessing her often painful life, how her sensitive soul was treated by an often harsh world, seeing the price of being ahead of your time. It was a lot. But I’m so glad I saw it.
It gives a decent snapshot of recent Irish history too, as well as what we wish was history.
I wish there was a better way to thank her for her vulnerability and her strength. For being the kind of Irish woman that made more space for the rest of us. For saying ‘fuck that’, when it needed to be said. For blazing a trail that only she could, and for living with the often painful consequences of being a renegade.
Thank you Sinéad. I will always be grateful to you.
“When you joke about sexual violence, know one thing – survivors are listening”
My latest piece for the Irish Independent published this week. An excerpt:
Reading Ciara Mangan’s powerful testimony about the workplace harassment she endured after being raped was eerily familiar to me. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been in offices where people say appalling things about survivors of sexual violence.
I remember sitting at my desk in a job I had years ago. Some colleagues were loudly discussing a child sexual abuse case that was in the news at the time. One colleague – an older man – laughed when he heard the details of two young boys being violated in their beds by a man their mother was dating. He tittered at the details, swivelling his chair around to more fully engage in the conversation. The tone was the same as when they discussed the weekend’s football – this was idle gossip, a salacious story that was fun to bat around without any consideration for the people involved.
5 things:
Am loving this hilarious book about a sex therapist’s transcriptionist.
Perfectionism has never felt like one of my “issues” but I still got a lot from this. And there’s a free quiz. Love a quiz.
Loved the mix of practical tips and more profound ideas in this piece by my friend Belinda.
‘Palm Trees and Power Lines’ was recommended by Stephaine Danler who said “Don’t watch the trailer! Just watch the movie.” I did exactly that and it was great.
Excited to see Nicole Holofcener’s new movie too. In the meantime, I enjoyed this conversation with her.
Thank you for this Claire, you captured my feelings perfectly. My connection to her music is inextricable from my memories of my mother! I saw Sinéad in Vicar St in 2019 and cried my way through the set, she was transcendent. I really felt she had found her way back to herself and what she loved. I hope she is finally at peace now!