Direct Line shares soar as hiking car insurance premiums pays off and it strikes £550m deal

• Deal will see firm sell its brokered commercial insurance to RSA 
• FTSE 250 company saw pre-tax losses risen to £76.3m from £11.1m in Q1

By Daniel Fessahaye

Updated: 08:11 EDT, 7 September 2023

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Disney has unveiled its latest cruise ship – with renderings revealing dazzling interiors.

Disney Treasure, Disney Cruise Line’s sixth ship, is slated to set sail from Florida on her inaugural cruise in December 2024.

The 4,000-passenger ship, which measures 1,119ft (341m) in length and weighs approximately 144,000 gross tons, is being constructed at Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard. 

The vessel, a sister ship to Disney Wish, which launched last year, promises to ‘unlock the far-reaching realms of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel and embrace dynamic tales from beloved Disney Parks attractions, through captivating and immersive experiences on the high seas’. A statement adds that Disney Treasure will ‘harness a design concept that calls upon the bold and heartwarming stories of beloved Disney characters’. 

First-of-its-kind features on board include a restaurant inspired by the film Coco, an Aladdin-themed ‘grand hall’ and a Zootopia-inspired sweet shop.  

The overriding theme of the ship is ‘adventure’, a decision made to ‘honour Walt Disney’s legendary passion for travel and exploration’.

This begins with the food offering. Unique to the ship is the aforementioned Plaza de Coco, the ‘world’s first theatrical dining experience’ themed around the 2017 hit Disney and Pixar animation Coco.

Detailing what to expect from the immersive restaurant experience, Disney says that the story of lead character Miguel and his family will continue where it left off on screen as they take diners on ‘colourful, music-filled journeys that celebrate family memories and togetherness’. Diners will enjoy ‘festive’ dinners with dishes that offer a ‘modern twist’ on traditional Mexican fare and a line-up of live entertainment. 

Another brand-new addition to the cruise line is Jumbeaux’s Sweets, a candy shop inspired by the ice cream parlour featured in Disney’s ‘Zootopia’.

For the adults on board, new to the cruise line is the Periscope Pub, a bar that’s inspired by the 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Here, ‘guests will dive into the mythical depths of uncharted oceans amidst the submarine-styled interiors and take a look at the watery world below through an intriguing glass ceiling’. Craft beers and light bites will be served.

Themed cocktails can be sipped at Skipper Society, another brand-new feature of the ship. This bar – complete with campground-style furnishings – is inspired by the Jungle Cruise boat ride attraction at Disney theme parks around the globe.

Many features echo those that are found on sister ship Disney Wish. For instance, Worlds of Marvel, Disney Cruise Line’s immersive Marvel-themed dining experience, which ‘celebrates favourite Avengers characters and stories’, is returning.

As is 1923, a restaurant named for the founding year of Walt Disney Animation Studios. It’s said to be ‘steeped in the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age’.

There are two adults-only eateries on board – Palo Steakhouse, offering ‘authentic Italian dining’, and Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement, said to ‘offer the most luxurious dining experience on board, featuring a gourmet menu crafted by three-Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Lallement’. 

The new ship will also feature ’24-hour room service, speciality treats, [and] gourmet cafes’, a statement reveals.

Beyond dinner and drinks, the vessel is chockablock with family-friendly entertainment venues that are said to immerse guests ‘in worlds both real and imagined, through interactive storytelling, character encounters and Broadway-style theatrical adaptations of inspiring Disney adventures’.

The Aladdin-themed Grand Hall – the ship’s ‘most prominent gathering space’ – will ‘host dedicated shows, character encounters and musical performances’.

Another new addition to the fleet will be Sarabi, a two-storey entertainment hub named after the lioness matriarch from The Lion King. The space, said to ‘evoke the natural beauty and openness of the savanna’, will be the setting for themed games such as ‘Family Time Game Show’ and ‘Villains Game Night’. 

Return features on board, meanwhile, include the Walt Disney Theatre, billed as an ‘opulent show palace that will come alive with original Broadway-style productions developed exclusively for Disney Cruise Line’. Shows include ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Disney Seas the Adventure’, which are both said to be ‘Disney Cruise Line fan-favourites’. 

Disney hints that there’ll be an all-new theatre show coming to Disney Treasure – but details of the production have yet to be released.

Just as they can aboard Disney Wish, guests can experience the Hero Zone sports venue and the Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas, where first-run films from Disney, Pixar and Marvel are screened. 

The Oceaneer Club – another return feature for kids and teens – is a ‘wonderland of immersive spaces’ that allows children to ‘enter the captivating worlds of [their] favourite Disney stories’.

It features the Marvel Super Hero Academy, where kids can train to become superheroes; Fairytale Hall, a collection of prince and princess-themed activity rooms; Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, where little ones discover the secrets of the ‘creative masterminds’ behind Disney theme parks; Star Wars: Cargo Bay, where children can be immersed in their own Star Wars story; and Mickey and Minnie Captain’s Deck, a maritime-themed playground.

On the upper decks of the ship guests will find an ‘expansive district themed to Mickey and friends’.

Herein lies the AquaMouse ride, a returning feature from Disney Wish. It has a brand-new theme aboard Disney Treasure, telling the story of the ‘Curse of the Golden Egg’, which ‘follows Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on a zany misadventure into an ancient temple’. 

Describing the ride, Disney says: ‘Powerful jets will propel two-person ride vehicles through 760ft (231m) of winding tubes, offering breathtaking views of the ocean and the ship below.’

There’s also a Toy Story-themed district – just as there is aboard Disney Wish – designed for families with young children that will include a splash zone, wading pool, family waterslide and smoothie bar.

The Quiet Cove adult area is another return feature from Disney Wish. ‘This secluded adults-only district will feature a luxurious infinity pool, poolside bar and chic café,’ says Disney.

For even more rest and relaxation, adults can retreat to the Senses Spa, ‘a tranquil oasis offering indulgent spa and beauty treatments’.

For a workout, the Senses Fitness gym will offer ‘state-of-the-art exercise and wellness facilities’.

After action-packed days, guests will look forward to a good night’s sleep. A statement says the ‘luxurious accommodations aboard Disney Treasure will strike an inviting balance between modern design and nostalgic charm with a fresh, natural colour scheme and custom artwork that will entice guests to peer beyond their staterooms into fantastical worlds from heartwarming Disney adventures’.

It’s said that most of the ship’s 1,256 staterooms will offer an ocean view, and 70 per cent will feature a verandah space.

There are four different styles of ‘royal’ suites on board that are designed to ‘pay tribute to the faithful feline companions of daring Disney characters’. For instance, the Bagheera Royal Suites are inspired by the panther from The Jungle Book and the lush forests he calls home. 

The Rajah Royal Suites, meanwhile, are themed to Princess Jasmine’s protective tiger who dwells in the royal palace of Agrabah in Aladdin.

Those who splash out on the concierge experience will stay in ‘indulgent’ suites with interiors inspired by the ‘majestic grasslands Simba calls home in The Lion King’. They’ll also enjoy access to ‘an exclusive concierge lounge with a private sun deck that serves as the perfect place to relax, sip a cocktail and enjoy a variety of food and beverages throughout the day’.

Disney Treasure will embark on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida, on December 21, 2024, followed by an inaugural season of itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club members can book a cruise from September 12, 2023, while bookings will open to all guests on September 20, 2023. For more information visit disneycruise.com.

Jessop made his TV debut in Holby City and became the first actor with Down’s syndrome to play a leading role in a primetime TV drama when he was cast in the BAFTA-nominated Coming Down The Mountain opposite Nicholas Hoult. 

He has also appeared in Casualty and Doctors, landed roles in critically-acclaimed short films, and is the first professional actor with Down’s syndrome to play Hamlet, in a performance that Sir Mark Rylance hailed as ‘phenomenal’. 

Tommy’s acting career has been supported by parents Jane and Edmund and his brother William, a documentary filmmaker who once said: ‘Tommy can’t really tie his own shoelaces, but he can stand on stage and break your heart.’

Jane, a former marketing executive, discovered their youngest son had Down’s syndrome on the day he was born.

‘My first reaction to finding out Tommy had Down’s syndrome, which was on the very first day, was “why has God sent him to us?”,’ Jane recalled in William’s 2013 short film about his brother, Tommy’s Story. 

‘But I was also very worried for his older brother, that this would affect his life. I always thought people would look at me differently as well. But of course, none of these things turned out to be true.’ 

William, who has made two films about his brother and produced sperm donor documentary 25 Siblings And Me, explained how growing up they were ‘just like any other brothers’. 

‘We played football together, or on the climbing frame, or cricket,’ he recalled in a 2014 interview. 

‘I know my Mum was worried at first about how having someone like Tommy for a brother would affect me, but actually I don’t remember it ever being an issue.  

‘I now realise that Tommy is an incredibly strong, bonding force in our family. We’re all still very close, and I love spending time at home.’  

Tommy’s flair for acting was evident from a young age. 

‘Tommy wanted to perform from when he was very little,’ Jane told the Daily Express.

‘He loved making people smile and laughed a lot himself. His junior school did wonderful plays and Tommy always had a role. Then as a young teenager he took part in a mixed-ability drama group.’  

Once he aged out of youth theatre, Jane, who is chairman of her local branch of learning disability charity Mencap, found there was nothing suitable for her son locally and decided to start her own theatre group in 2005.

Blue Apple Theatre, based in Winchester, Hampshire, casts adults in their 20s and 30s with learning disabilities in shows, giving them acting opportunities they wouldn’t have elsewhere. 

Tommy’s big break came in 2007 when he was cast in the BBC1 TV adaptation of Coming Down The Mountain, a radio play by Mark Haddon which focuses on the relationship between a boy with Down’s syndrome and his resentful brother. 

The feature-length film, co-starring Skins and X-Men star Hoult as Tommy’s brother, was nominated for a BAFTA and an Emmy award.    

‘Tommy took me to the Baftas,’ Jane said. ‘Seeing Tommy relaxed, smiling and professional on the red carpet in front of the flashing cameras, was amazing. I had no idea from his early days what a great life he would have.

‘Tommy used to be pretty shy but now he is far less so and has a good circle of friends. I wanted him to have a chance on stage and now he is a very powerful performer.’ 

The film served as a launchpad for Tommy, who has since appeared in short films Fighter, Innocence and Little S**t. He has also landed guest lead roles in BBC Radio 4’s Afternoon Plays including an episode of Stone with Hugo Speer. 

He played the lead in The Climb opposite Warwick Davies, and had a cameo role in The Archers.

In 2012, Blue Apple Theatre’s production of Hamlet toured 12 theatres and garnered celebrity attention. Sir Mark Rylance praised Tommy’s ‘to be’ speech as ‘phenomenal’.

William made a documentary, Growing Up Down’s, about the rehearsals for the play, while also capturing Tommy and his co-stars reflecting on love and life with Down’s syndrome.

He starred in the production alongside his then girlfriend Katy, although the pair split up during filming.  

‘Tommy and Katy started going out during the filming and Katy was his first-ever girlfriend,’ William said in an interview about the film.

‘The scene in the documentary where they are breaking up is so powerful. Because I know Tommy so well, I don’t see him as someone with Down’s. I just see him as Tommy, but it was moving for me to see how mature he was.’

Line Of Duty is undoubtedly Tommy’s most high profile gig to date.  

He first appeared as Terry Boyle in one episode of series 5, but was a much bigger presence on screen in the most recent series. The character first appeared in the first series, in 2012, but was played by a different actor, Elliott Rosen. 

It all started innocently enough. I watched the testimony of a 19-year-old Californian, Chloe Cole, before a committee of the U.S. Congress last Thursday.

She was giving evidence about the experience she underwent in her transition to becoming a boy and it was pretty harrowing stuff.

Chloe revealed she had been given puberty blockers aged 13 and underwent a double mastectomy aged 15. Now de-transitioning, she fought back the tears as she revealed to the politicians before her that she had scars on her breast, her nipples weeped fluids, she would never be able to breastfeed, she struggled to look at herself in the mirror and when she did she saw a ‘monster’.

I fought to hold back my own tears.

Why had her parents gone along with all this? The doctors prescribing the drugs and proposing the mutilation, she explained, had asked them if they wanted a ‘dead daughter’ or a ‘live trans son’.

I decided to tweet to my 1.2 million followers an excerpt from her testimony, commenting that it was ‘heart-breaking’, ‘barbaric’ and asked: ‘What have we become?’

That’s when the balloon went up.

I’ve never commented publicly before on any of the issues swirling round the transgender debate. Readers of my columns and viewers of my TV shows will know I tend to stick to mainstream politics and economics, my areas of expertise. My tweet was a baptism of fire.

A Cabinet minister texted me: ‘Welcome to the dark side.’ They weren’t wrong. I was quickly denounced as a ‘Terf’.

I’d seen this term used to smear JK Rowling and other critics of the transgender lobby but, I explained, it wasn’t effective abuse against me since I didn’t really know what it meant. Someone helpfully explained that it stood for ‘Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist’ (meaning, I think, advocating feminist rights at the expense of trans rights).

I’ve always regarded myself as something of a feminist, having appointed the first-ever female editor of The Scotsman, for example, and the first female editor of The Sunday Times colour magazine in the days when these things didn’t really happen. But a ‘radical feminist?’ I can’t wait to tell Germaine Greer, I tweeted in jest. In truth, there is nothing funny about the trans debate.

A number of fellow ‘Terfs’ posted tweets welcoming me to the cause but pointing out, correctly, I was something of a johnny-come-lately.

Times columnist Janice Turner said she and other women had been writing about the use of drugs and surgery on transitioning teenagers for at least six years and taking no notice was a lesson for me ‘not to tune out women’.

I replied that it was usually wiser to welcome converts to the cause rather than upbraid them. But I now see that was ungracious. Women like Janice (and it’s nearly always been women) who’ve been in the vanguard of exposing the horrors of this scandal have experienced the vilest abuse — and received precious little support or comfort from the rest of us.

They have been vilified by the more extreme elements in the transgender lobby as ‘hysterical bigots’ and regularly threatened with violence, including rape and murder.

One woman showed me evidence of threats to ‘come to your house’ and ‘rip the nipples off your bare chest’. Another was promised a ‘night of the long knives’. And there’s much worse than this. It’s simply unrepeatable in a newspaper.

It’s not just threats. Women who’ve dared to question the trans consensus have lost their jobs or been sidelined. A senior Arts Council England official was driven to resign (she later won her harassment claim before an employment tribunal).

Journalists, such as Suzanne Moore from the Guardian, have quit after being shunned by colleagues. Even academics, such as Professor Kathleen Stock, have been hounded out of their university posts by aggressive student campaigns.

These injustices happened under my nose. Either I took no notice, or didn’t think it was my fight — when it should be everybody’s fight.

Of course, journalists like me were not entirely unaware of transgender controversies. We watched, shaking our heads, as men who had transitioned to women started winning events in women’s sports.

Lia Thomas, who’d once competed in American university male swimming teams, became one of the most notorious causes celebres as her tall, muscular body towered above women swimmers on the female winner’s podium.

That seemed simply unfair to all the women who’d given up so much of their youth to become champion swimmers.

Then there was the case of Adam Graham, sentenced to eight years for raping two women, but who — between arrest and sentence — decided to transition to a woman and become Isla Bryson.

At one stage it looked like the rapist’s jail-time time would be served in a woman’s prison and that the SNP government in Scotland would uphold that — until there was an outcry and common sense prevailed. That episode contributed to the downfall of Nicola Sturgeon so, as a Scot, it naturally appeared on my radar.

But I didn’t know the half of it. Fortunately, the brave women standing up against extreme transgender ideology did. And with precious little support from the rest of us, they have had their victories.

London’s Tavistock NHS Trust is closing its Gender Identity Development Service, the main English clinic responsible for treating teenagers similar to Chloe Cole.

The use of puberty blockers has been curtailed, which is just as well since, despite claims they’re ‘life-saving’ and ‘reversible’, a study into their use in the NHS concluded they could disrupt the long-term brain development of youngsters.

Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of disinformation floating around. My attention was brought to a Swedish study which, relying on information stretching back over 50 years, found that less than 3 per cent of individuals who transitioned ever de-transitioned.

But even a cursory look revealed that the study ended in 2010, covered only adults and mainly natal males. So it tells us nothing about the recent explosion of teenagers, mainly girls, seeking to dissociate themselves from the bodies with which they were born.

There is a growing suspicion that many of the young people currently suffering from what’s called gender dysphoria are simply gay and that, if allowed to come to terms with their sexuality with help and counselling, will turn out just fine.

Instead they are being subject to barbarous treatment much like, in more intolerant times, gay people were subjected to electric shock treatment to ‘cure’ them.

If this analysis proves broadly right, we’re living through a medical and societal scandal of massive proportions.

I have merely reached the foothills of all the issues involved in the transgender debate. I now have a new summer reading list whose authors represent a roll call of honour to those who have fought in the trenches, often at great personal cost: Helen Lewis, Julie Bindel, Sarah Ditum, Hannah Barnes, Helen Joyce, Labour MP Rosie Duffield, Hadley Freeman and others too numerous to mention (and, yes, you’ve noticed — there are no men on this list, which only underlines who’s been doing the heavy lifting).

I’m ready for the further abuse that awaits me for siding with such company. Frankly, it’s water off a duck’s back. And it’s never as brutal against men as it is women, which speaks volumes for those dishing out the abuse.

Who cares? If it means I’m a JK Rowling ally and that makes it harder for what happened to Chloe Cole to happen to other young, vulnerable teenagers, then I’m delighted to be a foot soldier in a just cause.

A grandfather with a love of trains has spent the last 30 years lovingly building a working miniature railway track in his own back garden. 

Derek Burwell has been creating the impressive 272 yard line track at his home in Pelsall, Walsall, West Midlands, since 1993, which comes complete with eight mini engines he built by hand. 

The line now runs around the edge of the 83-year-olds 40ft wide garden, which also houses the workshop where he has spent hours a day adding to his track. 

The track, which Mr Burwell has spent thousands creating, is made from timber and aluminium, which carries a mixture of electric, battery-powered, and petrol-driven hydraulic engines. 

His unique garden also features a host of railway memorabilia, including a 100-year-old signal which he reclaimed from a level crossing. It now sits proudly in the middle of his lawn. 

The backyard train track was born from Mr Burwell’s love of locomotives, which began when he was a child when his father took him to work at Birmingham Coach and Carriage Company. 

He then spent his working life repairing and restoring engines, rolling stock and carriages before he retired. 

He revealed the track was something he ‘always wanted to do’. 

‘It gave the neighbours a bit of a surprise when they saw I had my own railway track but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do’, the grandfather-of-two said. 

‘I used to enjoy riding the train in the arboretum but that closed down due to health and safety issues in the late 80s. The council did not bother to to fix the problem and just closed it down, which was sad.

‘So I thought I’d build one myself. Now I can now ride my train whenever I like because it’s in my back garden.

‘I have always been into locomotives. My dad would take me to work and I would get to sit in all these amazing engines. One was built for the late Queen.

‘As I got older, I thought it would be a nice hobby and keep me busy. It’s better I’m doing this than being stuck in front of the TV all day.

‘It keeps me really active and I enjoy it. Not many people can say they have a fully working railway in their back garden.

‘There are some fabulous miniature railways across the country but you have to know where to find them. People like to keep them a secret.’

Mr Burwell lives alone after his wife, Margaret, died aged 73 two years ago. He regularly sees his daughter and two grandchildren and grandson Thomas has even taken to help him out with odd jobs on the track.  

‘My grandson helps me out with my jobs, he can weld, and I have passed my love of trains on to him’, Mr Burwell said. ‘We used to have birthday parties when the grandkids were children and give everyone a ride on the railway, we used to have great fun.

‘My wife just put up with it really, she didn’t have much of a choice. She knew how much I enjoyed building this track.’

His impressive skillset is still called upon by other miniature railway lovers and collectors who want to restore their own vehicles. 

‘I’m supposed to be retired’, Mr Burwell added. ‘But there is always someone wanting something or another doing, but I enjoy restoring things

‘I’m currently working on a little bus which is from a fairground in Belgium for a friend of mine. It’s taking up a big chunk of the garden. I think this will be my last major job. I need to slow down eventually and focus on working on my own garden.’

Irish musical royalty including members of U2 attended Sinead O’Connor’s funeral today before her coffin was cheered through the streets of Bray led by a VW campervan playing Bob Marley and her own hits.

More than 3,000 people gathered in her home town to mourn the star with many sobbing while singing ‘Nothing Compares to U’ in a moving final farewell following her sudden death in London last month aged 56.

The family of the singer, who died aged 56 last month, held a private memorial service this morning attended by the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Stars including Bono, the Edge and Bob Geldof were also there.

Sinead’s eulogy said she ‘suffered more than her share of hardship and adversity’. Imam Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri added: ‘Gifted with a voice that moved a generation of young people, she could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance. Sinead’s voice carried with it an undertone of hope, of finding one’s way home. The Irish people have long found solace in song from the sufferings of this lower abode, and Sinead was no exception, and in sharing that solace, she brought joy to countless people the world over.’

The acclaimed singer’s family had asked people who wished to say a ‘last goodbye’ to stand along Bray seafront in Co Wicklow as the cortege passed by this lunchtime, to the sound of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Natural Mystic.

A Volkswagen camper led the hearse carrying her on her final journey with mourners throwing flowers on to the roof and bonnet. Blue hydrangeas and roses covered and surrounded the coffin. It then stopped outside her former home for several minutes so mourners could pay their respects. Many stepped into the road to touch the vehicle.

Another VW decorated with flowers and Pride flags was also outside Sinead’s former home. It was playing some of her songs from speakers mounted on the roof. Fans sang along to her song ‘Nothing Compares to U’ and some wiped away tears when the song ‘Scarlet Ribbons’, which has lyrics about ‘living to a hundred’, was played. The crowd of broke into applause as each song ended.

Sinead, a mother-of-four survived by her three living children, was found dead in her penthouse flat in Herne Hill on July 26 – the cause of death has not yet been revealed. She will be laid to rest today in her beloved Ireland with a traditional Muslim burial following her conversion in 2018.

Bob Marley’s ‘Natural Mystic’ was played from its speakers as the hearse stopped outside her former home. Her coffin was barely visible as it was covered in flowers, but around 5,000 people broke out into spontaneous applause as the reggae kings music played out.

It stopped only a few minutes in front of the home, which had a pink chair on its steps. Sinead would sit on the chair during Covid and talk to passers-by as associating with others and personal contact had been during the pandemic.

The VW was driven and organised by music producer friends of the late singer, and the vehicle is called ‘Jackie’ by its owners in honour of JFK’s first lady who visited Ireland in 1963, the year the vehicle was manufactured.

Her friend Liam O’Maonlai, the lead singer of the band, Hothouse Flowers, was among those who arrived at Sinead’s former home. He said of the huge crowds: ‘I think it’s love is why people are outside the house today. They loved her. I admired her.’ 

Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chief Imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland, told MailOnline that Sinead was to have a Muslim burial on accordance with her conversion to the religion, referring to her with her adopted name Shuhada Sadaqat.

Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri later told the PA news agency: ‘The funeral was obviously private (for) the family and it was a very moving ceremony and I think it really reflected the beautiful personality of Sinead.

‘It was very spiritual and it reflected her Irish identity as well as her Muslim identity.

‘So I was with the members of the Muslim community and we performed the Janazah prayer, which is the Islamic funeral prayer, over Sinead.’

He also said that O’Connor ‘never moved away from God’ unlike others who have ‘difficulties and trials’ in their lives.

Dr Umar Al-Qadri said: ‘She was an amazing human being who was not just a great musician, artist, but one that would reach hearts of millions of people because of her voice but also because of the amazing content… She had always had strong faith and conviction in God.’

Irish president Michael Higgins said he would be attending the funeral service.

He said in a statement: ‘The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinead O’Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people.

‘The unique contribution of Sinead involved the experience of a great vulnerability combined with a superb, exceptional level of creativity that she chose to deliver through her voice, her music and her songs.

‘The expression of both, without making any attempt to reduce the one for the sake of the other, made her contribution unique – phenomenal in music terms, but of immense heroism.

‘However, achieving this came from the one heart and the one body and the one life, which extracted an incredible pain, perhaps one too much to bear.

‘That is why all those who are seeking to make a fist of their life, combining its different dimensions in their own way, can feel so free to express their grief at her loss.’

Sara Mohamed said she had travelled to Bray to pay her respects to Sinead O’Connor.

‘(I’m) a massive fan of Sinead and she’ll be missed. She was an Irish legend.

‘As an Irish Muslim, I felt that I should be here on behalf of my community to pay my respects to the Irish legend she was.

‘I just think she was massively outspoken and she spoke for minorities who didn’t have a voice. And that’s very admirable and very brave.’

Veronica Kelly travelled from Shannon at 2am and arrived in Bray at dawn to place flowers and said: ‘We will never see a woman in Ireland like Sinead again. Sinead gave a voice to the voiceless. She wasn’t afraid to speak out, and she stood up for black lives, gay rights and refugees.

‘This is a very sad day. She was an incredible woman. I had met and she just seemed like an ordinary person. But she was far from that. We will miss her greatly.’

Office worker Paula Cairns,51, said: ‘On top of all her wonderful achievements in standing up for the underdog, she was also a great musician.

‘We have lost a leading Irish light whose voice was known around the world.’

Daultach Magehsonnbhairr, 18, said: ‘Even though I’m a teenager, I know what Sinead meant to Ireland. We will all be enjoying her music for many years to come.’

 

Liam O’Maonlai sang with her at London’s Royal Festival Hall, shortly after she had been booed off stage at Madison Square Gardens for ripping up a picture of The Pope on American TV in 1992.

He said: ‘. She had not been put off by what happened in New York.

‘There are people who have a certain mastery in their art, as Sinead was one of those.

‘Whenever she walked into a room, she was the centre of it with the way she dressed, and the way she spoke.

‘She had incredible strength, and she showed that when she tried to sing her song, ‘I believe in you’ in Madison Square Garden and was booed.

‘Instead of walking off she turned to the song ‘War’ which was written by Haile Selassie and talks about peace.

‘It was an honour to perform with her. I just hope that she died with a smile on her face.’

Sinead fan Mary Clarke,52, from Galway said: ‘she spoke to me in so many ways about the difficulties of grown-up in Ireland.

‘This was all before social media. She just said amazing things I wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. How do you spoke for a lot of people of my age which is similar to her generation. She is going to be missed’

Her daughter Lucy,14, said: ‘I will always listen to music. I’ve been told a lot about how incredible she was by my mother.’

Babara O’Mera of the Moonmna womens’ group of Dublin said: ‘She inspired a lot of women like me. She was very brave and not afraid to be outspoken.’

The procession is expected to start at 10.30am at the Harbour Bar end of the Strand Road and will continue past by her former home, Montebello, where she lived for 15 years.

One note left there said: ‘You are forever in my heart.’

A pink chair was placed outside the pink-framed conservatory of the house, located on the seafront, with pink flowers and a photo of the singer placed at the base of the chair.

One sign left at the wall of the property listed causes that the singer had expressed support for, including welcoming refugees: ‘Where words fail, music speaks.’

A neighbour was also seen putting candles on the wall that separated the two properties.

Since her death on July 26, people have been leaving flowers and paying their respects at the house, which the singer sold in 2021 and which now lies empty.

‘Sinead loved living in Bray and the people in it,’ a statement issued by her family said.

‘With this procession, her family would like to acknowledge the outpouring of love for her from the people of Co Wicklow and beyond, since she left last week to go to another place.’

The Irish Grammy-winning singer was found unresponsive by police at her south-east London home, aged 56.

A host of tributes have flooded in from fans and famous artists across the world in response to her death, including Russell Crowe, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper and Bob Geldof.

Several gatherings were held in the days since O’Connor’s death in Dublin, Belfast and London, where members of the public paid tribute to her legacy as a musician and activist.

O’Connor, who was born in Dublin in December 1966, released her first album The Lion And The Cobra in 1987.

Her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, followed in 1990, which contained the hit single Nothing Compares 2 U, which saw O’Connor top the charts in countries around the world.

The track earned her multiple Grammy Award nominations including for the prestigious record of the year category, as well as best female pop vocal performance and best music video.

In 1991, she was named artist of the year by Rolling Stone magazine and took home the Brit Award for international female solo artist.

She released a further eight studio albums, the latest being 2014’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss.

In 2018, O’Connor announced that she had converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat.

The cleric who presided over her conversion to Islam Umar Al-Qadri, the chief Imam of Ireland, yesterday posted a message on his Facebook page, describing her as a ‘beacon of truth and exemplar of Islam’s beautiful guideance.’

He said: ‘She has returned to her creator. Her conversion to Islam bore witness to the transcendent power of faith, reaching across cultural divides, tearing down walls of misunderstanding and prejudice.

‘Sister Shuhada’s journey underlined that embracing Islam is not merely a change of name or attire, but a quest for personal truth, acceptance of one’s imperfections, and submission to the Divine.

‘This path, filled with both petals and thorns, is one we must tread with empathy and humility.

Imam Al-Qadri, who said he had been Sinead’s ‘spiritual guide’, added: ‘May God envelope our sister Shuhada in his Loving Mercy, forgive her shortcomings and grant her a place in the highest of heavens.

‘May He comfort her loved ones in this difficult time, and guide us all to live lives reflecting the true essence of Islam.’

He appealed for Muslims to hold prayers at 11am tomorrow to coincide with her private burial.

‘We can express our respect, love, and solidarity for our departed sister, mirroring the values she tirelessly championed.’

On Sunday, a tribute to Sinead was unveiled on Bray Head in northern County Wicklow, Ireland, close to where she lived.

Just a short distance from Sinead’s home on Strand Road, a sign reading ‘ÉIRE SINÉAD,’ along with a white heart was placed close to the World War Two ‘ÉIRE’ landmark.

The letters of the moving sign are 30ft tall each and the tribute was the brainchild of bosses of The Tenth Man, in association with mural specialists, Mack Signs.

Executive creative director of Tenth Man, Richard Seabrooke said: ‘So much has been said about Sinéad since her recent passing, I’m not sure what is left to say.

‘We just wanted to take the opportunity to mark the moment with a bold statement that symbolises what she meant to this little country of ours.’

Following her death, her music management company 67 Management said she had been finishing a new album, reviewing tour dates for next year and was also considering ‘opportunities’ around a movie of her book.

O’Connor’s death is not being treated as suspicious by authorities.

A London coroner did not find a medical cause of death and suggested that the post-mortem examination results may take several weeks.

By Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor

Updated: 05:10 EDT, 2 August 2023

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