Inquest Reveals Care Lapses in Shane O'Connor's Death

Shane O'Connor, the 17-year-old son of singer Sinéad O'Connor, absconded from Tallaght University Hospital where he was under 24/7 supervised care less than 24 hours before his body was discovered near Bray, Co Wicklow. An inquest revealed he had gone missing on January 6, 2022, from the hospital after being treated for a drug overdose and multiple suicide attempts. The court heard that no healthcare assistant was available to supervise him at the time, despite him being stopped earlier by a nurse for attempting to go outside for a cigarette. Sinéad O'Connor identified her son's body at the mortuary shortly after his death, and among those present at the inquest were family members including his father, musician Dónal Lunny, and his uncle, novelist Joseph O'Connor. Dr. Anthony O'Connor, the consultant responsible for Shane's care, expressed profound regret over the lack of supervision, attributing it to challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic. This tragic incident adds to the heartbreak surrounding the family, as Sinéad O'Connor herself passed away just 18 months later.