Sinead O’Connor’s fans threw red and yellow flowers on the hearse and sang Nothing Compares 2 U as the funeral cortège passed her former home, Montebello, around noon.
Her army of loyal fans began to line Strand Road in Bray early this morning as they gathered to eagerly pay their respects to the late singer.
The cortege was led by a Garda escort and a Volkswagen Transporter, which played Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Natural Mystic from its speakers.
A large number of flowers and cards were left outside the home as well as candles and tricolours.
In a statement on Sunday, Sinead’s family had promised fans “an opportunity to pay their final respects” when her funeral cortège travelled through the town.
And fans could not wait to seize the opportunity to show how much Sinead and her music meant to them.
Handwritten notes left outside her former home thanked the singer for sharing her voice and her music.
One note said: “You are forever in my heart.”
A pink chair was placed outside the pink-framed conservatory of the house, located on the seafront, with pink flowers and a photo of the singer placed at the base of the chair.
One sign left on the wall of the property listed causes the singer had expressed support for, including welcoming refugees: “Where words fail, music speaks.”
A neighbour was also seen putting candles on the wall that separated the two properties.
President Michael D Higgins issued a press release saying that he and his wife Sabina would attend the private funeral service on Tuesday morning.
In the statement, President Higgins said: “The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinead O’Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people.
“The unique contribution of Sinead involved the experience of a great vulnerability combined with a superb, exceptional level of creativity that she chose to deliver through her voice, her music and her songs.”
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, an Islamic scholar and the chief Imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland who met Sinead in 2018, posted that he was “incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Muslim funeral prayer for the daughter of Ireland, Sinead O’Connor aka Shuhada Sadaqat”.
He wrote on Twitter: “It is an honour to be part of this occasion, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the family for recognising and embracing her Muslim identity.”