Sinead O’Connor, one of the most important Irish artists of the past 50 years, has died.

The news, which had been spreading through the music community over the past hour, has now been confirmed. No details have yet been revealed as to the circumstances.

Sinead is survived by her three children, Jake, Roisin and Yeshua.

Her son Shane died at the age of 17 in January 2022.

“This is desperately sad news that will have a devastating impact on Sinead’s huge number of fans all over the world,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. “But most of all, I am thinking now of her immediate family and friends, and the people who loved her so much – and with such depth, intensity and feeling. Their world has been shattered today, in a way that is impossible to measure or describe. Her loss is immense – and tragic.

“Sinead was a wonderful, complex and brilliant person – and a towering artist. And she was a truly extraordinary singer.

"Knowing her from when we first wrote about her in Hot Press at the age of just 17 has, for me, been a fantastic privilege. It is heartbreaking to hear that she will no longer be around to give us that wonderful smile – or to speak with such colourful and passionate strength about life, love, the injustices of the world – and, of course about music, which mattered more than anything else in her life.

“Honestly, it is impossible now to find words adequate to this devastating moment. But a terrible sadness is gripping everyone who knew and loved her. It is a feeling that will remain with us forever."