Pierce Turner

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A cluster of formally dressed opera-goers crowd around the door and sieve their way into the lobby of Wexford’s National Opera House. John’s inviting smile jumped out of the crowd and greeted me fearlessly with divil the concern for my temporary amnesia. A well-groomed man of medium height with a mop of grey curls and an indefatigable desire to be positive, he drew me near like a magnet. It had been a couple of years, a full pandemic since I had last seen him.

On August 9 , the exceptional Irish singer, Sinead O’Connor was buried at the age of 56, in her hometown of Bray. Her death caused a great stir that travelled across the world, affecting even the most skeptical. A controversial woman with a lot of moxy, she was almost forgotten as a musical force. Just like Diana, Princess of Wales, Sinead’s behaviour in public could be abrasive and frank.