The event, honouring the legacies of Sinead O’Connor and her close friend, Shane MacGowan, who both passed away last year, took place on Wednesday, following St Patrick’s Day festivities.
In the culmination of the concert, Dublin-born Roisin Waters took to the stage, drawing comparisons to her mother with her striking appearance and emotive vocal delivery.
Sinead O’Connor, who passed away at 56 on July 26, welcomed Roisin with her friend, Irish journalist John Waters. After a prolonged custody dispute, Roisin was raised in Ireland by her father.
Roisin Waters – Sinéad O’Connor’s daughter sings “Nothing Compares 2U”
Performing barefoot in a vibrant floral-patterned ankle-length dress, Waters flawlessly captured the essence of her mother’s signature song. As the band softened for the final verse, echoing a moment reminiscent of O’Connor’s dedication to her late mother, tears were evoked, much like in the original music video.
A clip of Waters’ performance shared on YouTube garnered praise from fans, describing it as “beautiful.”
The concert, which raised $70,000 for the non-profit organization PEN America, featured a lineup of esteemed artists such as The Violent Femmes, Josh Ritter, Imelda May, Billy Bragg, and Dropkick Murphys.
Over the course of three hours, musicians paid homage to MacGowan and O’Connor by covering their most beloved songs and sharing personal anecdotes and memories of the revered artists.