Nothing Compares 2U star Sinead O’Connor ‘just lovely’ on trip to Downpatrick

Nothing Compares 2U star Sinead O’Connor ‘just lovely’ on trip to Downpatrick

16 October 2019

RENOWNED Irish singer songwriter Sinead O’Connor is preparing for a world tour next year with the help of Downpatrick brothers Ken and Carl Papenfus.

The brothers — who are better known as members of rock band Relish — are managing the international star who made a stunning return to Irish television last month on the Late Late Show on RTE.

Performing her iconic hit, Nothing Compares 2U by Prince, and wearing traditional red religious Islamic dress, O’Connor’s performance was hailed as a major comeback from her well-documented struggles with mental health. 

The footage of her RTE appearance has since been viewed nearly 1.7 million times on YouTube.

Ken told the Recorder that Sinead, who now goes by the name Shuhada Davitt following her conversion to Islam, was in Downpatrick last week to rehearse for her upcoming gigs in Ireland and Europe at the end of the year.

“Carl and I are still in Relish of course but this is something we have been doing for the last six months,” he said.

“We kind of just morphed into this role when we were getting ready to do some recording and some writing with her. There was no-one else in place so we thought we would help out.”

The brothers have a professional connection and friendship with the performer from having played in her band as a guitarist and drummer in O’Connor’s last world tour in 2014/15.

Ken said that Sinead had an enjoyable time in the town but that she was really focused on rehearsal and tour preparation.

“She very much enjoyed Downpatrick and she’s really pleased to be back [performing again] and has got a whole new team around her,” he said.

Ken also hinted that a Belfast performance before Christmas may be on the cards.

“There is some recording going on but it’s really preparation for the new world tour as she already has European and US dates still coming in for next year,” he added.

Diners were stunned to see the star in local coffee shops and O’Connor seemed to enjoy what the local businesses offered in coffee and food.

Sean Roberts, who owns Cafe 21 in Market Street, and his head chef, Marc Lavery, were lucky enough to get a picture with Sinead as a memento. The singer and her daughter came in last Wednesday around 10am for breakfast.

“One of the customers came and said to me about this being a celebrity hang out and I asked why?” explained Sean.

“He pointed out Sinead to me and I went over to have a chat and her daughter asked about vegan meals and our chef went out to have a chat and he didn’t recognise her either.”

The Drumaness man said he was “over the moon” to have met Sinead as he is a real fan.

“I was star struck. I love Sinead O’Connor and some of her songs were even sung at my wedding.”

And he was also delighted that the singer readily agreed to a treasured photograph with him and that she loved the brand of coffee the shop serves.

The singing star also visited Your Just Desserts in Scotch Street with her daughter the next morning.

Proprietor Gemma Carinduff 

described the Dublin mother of four as “just lovely”.

“We didn’t bother her for a photo and they sat at a table in corner so we left them to it,” said Gemma. “They enjoyed breakfast with coffees and then came back a little later for coffees to go. 

“Sinead was just like anyone else and we treated her how we would anyone. Her daughter talked to us about being a pastry chef and the early starts it entailed. She said you can always tell homemade produce which was a lovely complement to us.”

Later in the evening, the VIP visitor dined at the Passage to India Indian restaurant in St Patrick’s Avenue where waitress Elisha Tumelty got a photograph with the international singing star.