Dolores O'Riordan: Thousands of fans gather at Limerick church to mourn The Cranberries singer

Thousands of fans gathered at a Limerick church to bid farewell to a fallen star: one who had touched their hearts, who had touched the nation.

Queueing outside of St Joseph’s Church, many clutching white roses and daffodils, mourners of all ages arrived to attend Sunday’s public reposal for The Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan, who was born in the Irish county.

Her voice filled the building, her band’s songs softly playing in the background throughout the service, as a floral tribute beside the open coffin read: “The song has ended, but the memories linger on.” Along the walls, photos of O’Riordan were placed, including one of the singer posing with the Pope. Four books of condolence were also open for mourners to sign.

The public reposal was the first of several services to be held before the funeral mass taking place in the Church of Saint Ailbe in Ballybricken, Co Limerick, on Tuesday. There are plans to broadcast the funeral mass live on Limerick’s local radio station. Tuesday’s service will then be followed by a private family burial.

A spokesperson for O’Riordan said she died “suddenly” in London, aged 46, where she had travelled for a short recording session. The Metropolitan Police attended the scene and determined O’Riordan’s death to be non-suspicious, the officer saying: “A post-mortem has now been carried out and the court is awaiting results of various tests that have been commissioned.” The hearing will continue on 3 April.

O’Riordan joined The Cranberries, made up of brothers Noel and Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler, after reading an advertisement in a local paper in 1989. They went on to sell over 40 million records around the world, O’Riordan later releasing the solo records Are You Listening? in 2007 and No Baggage in 2009.

Tributes have poured in from fans, friends, and fellow musicians who praised her as “unforgettable and inspirational”. Irish President Michael D Higgins praised O’Riordan’s and the band’s “immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally”.

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