Sinéad O’Connor calls out ‘evil’ Irish state and hospital after teenage son’s death
Sinéad O’Connor has condemned the Irish state after the death of her 17-year-old son, Shane.
The singer announced the news of her teenage son’s death on Twitter in the early hours of 8 January, writing: “My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God.
“May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”
Shane had been reported missing two days before his death. O’Connor had previously Shane was “on suicide watch” at the Tallaght Hospital in Dublin.
In a new series of tweets on the evening of 8 January, O’Connor has fiercely criticised the Irish health service HSE, the child and family agency Tusla and the Irish state overall.
“26 hours after my son died in the so called care of the Irish State in the form of Tusla, I have yet to receive any contact from Tusla or their representatives. I was informed by Gardai of my son’s death and later I spoke with the GAL. No contact from Tusla is unacceptable,” she wrote in her first tweet.
O’Connor later posted: “I have now formally identified the remains of my son, Shane. May God forgive the Irish State for I never will.”
The “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer added: “Now tusla want to discuss with me ‘a media release’ no doubt wishing to have me join in their efforts to make this death of my child seem like it wasn’t at the hands of the Irish State.”
Other tweets called the Irish state, Tusla and the HSE “evil” and “self-serving”. See the rest of the posts below.
Tusla and HSE to release dishonest ass covering statement in response to international questioning. A load of lies,refusals to accept responsibility. Couched as always in the omnipotent and false concern they claim to have for the privacy of the children who die on their watch
— Sinead The 1 And Only (@OhSineady) January 8, 2022
I’m going to take private time now to grieve my son. When I am ready I will be telling exactly how the Irish State in the ignorant, evil, self-serving, lying forms of Tusla and the HSE enabled and facilitated his death. Magdalene Ireland never went away. Ask the youth.
— Sinead The 1 And Only (@OhSineady) January 8, 2022
And any statement out of Tusla suggesting they a) did their best b) care or c) have deepest sympathies for anyone here but their lawyers, is a load of crap trap that has killed too many kids and it isn’t going to wash this time.
Too many kids are dying on Tusla’s watch.— Sinead The 1 And Only (@OhSineady) January 8, 2022
The Independent has contacted Tusla and the HSE for comment.
In a statement released to press, the hospital’s spokesperson said: “The HSE cannot comment on individual cases when to do so might reveal information in relation to identifiable individuals, breaching the ethical requirement on us to observe our duty of confidentiality.
