Sinéad O’Connor: New song released posthumously

Even after her death, Sinéad O’Connor (1966-2023) remains a strong voice who draws attention to grievances in the Catholic Church in her native Ireland. In the last episode of the series “The Woman in the Wall” her song “The Magdalene Song” was heard for the first time on Sunday. O’Connor provided the song to the BBC series before her death on July 26, 2023.

“The Woman in the Wall” is about the infamous Magdalen Homes. Among other things, “fallen women,” such as unmarried pregnant women, were admitted to these church-sponsored institutions. There they usually had to do forced labor and physical punishment was the order of the day. There was a scandal in Ireland in 1993 when a mass grave was discovered on the property of one of these institutions. 155 deceased inmates were buried there. In 1996 the Magdalen Homes in Ireland closed.

Sinéad O’Connor had personal experience of church abuse

The fight against abuse and oppression by the church was one of Sinéad O’Connor’s life themes. As a teenager she was eventually placed in a Magdalenen boarding school. She was sent there after she was expelled from school and noticed for shoplifting.

According to her own statements, Sinéad O’Connor was abused by clergy as a child. In 1992, she caused a scandal on the comedy show “Saturday Night Live” when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) in protest against abuse in the Catholic Church.

Sinéad O’Connor almost finished new album

In addition to the “Magdalene Song”, Sinéad O’Connor had recorded other previously unreleased songs before her death. She worked on a new album together with producer David Holmes (54). There was only one song left to complete. It is not yet known whether the album will be released.