Thousands of fans gathered in Bray, Ireland on Tuesday to say goodbye to Sinead O’Connor (Shuhada), some singing along to hits blasted from a vintage Volkswagen camper van, others showering her hearse with flowers.

O’Connor, died on July 26, aged 56 after police found her unresponsive in London.

Known for the 1990 chart-topping hit “Nothing Compares 2 U”, O’Connor in 2018 announced that she had converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada.

Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chief Imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland delivered the eulogy at O’Connor’s funeral.

“Gifted with a voice that moved a generation of young people, she could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Crowds gathered along the seafront at Bray, just south of Dublin, clapped and cheered as O’Connor’s coffin passed in a hearse. Driving ahead, the VW van was decked out with a rainbow flag and blared Bob Marley’s “Natural Mystic” from speakers secured to the roof.

“I think she had the courage to say a lot of things that we all felt,” said Gemma Byrne, 47, who took a 90-minute train from the town of Drogheda to pay her respects.

“She represented our transition from a very dark past into a hopeful future and I’m just here to say thanks for being with me along that journey, and for maybe putting words and expression on what I felt but didn’t quite know how to say.”

Two of Byrne’s friends held a large red flag reading “Thank You Sinead.” Others stood with buggies and dogs, some climbed up on walls to get a better view, and locals watched from balconies overlooking the strand.

One fan held a black-and-white photo of O’Connor with the words “Fight The Real Enemy,” the declaration the singer famously made after ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 television appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

O’Connor’s music was played from the VW van outside her former home, which has become a focal point for fans since her death.

“Sinead loved living in Bray and the people in it,” her family said in a statement inviting the public to gather before her private burial. Irish President Michael D. Higgins and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar joined O’Connor’s family at a private funeral service, state broadcaster RTE reported.

“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 to go to another place.”

With input from agencies.