Fans bid seaside farewell to Sinead O'Connor with songs, flags and flowers

A person gestures behind a hearse carrying the coffin of late Irish singer Sinead O'Connor as it passes by during her funeral procession where fans line the street to say their last goodbye to her, in Bray, Ireland, August 8, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

BRAY, Ireland (Reuters) - Thousands gathered outside Sinead O'Connor's former seaside home on Tuesday to bid farewell to the outspoken Irish rock star, some singing along to hits blasted from a vintage Volkswagen camper van, others showering her hearse with flowers.

O'Connor, best known for the 1990 chart-topping hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" and her controversial but often prescient views on religion, sex and feminism, died on July 26 aged 56 after police found her unresponsive at an address in London.