BP Fallon’s rarely seen Sinéad O’Connor photographs: From early London days to 1990s Dublin

St Patrick’s Day in London, 1986

This is the night we met, at a party for The Pogues, on St Patrick’s Day in London, 1986. Sinéad told me that when she was 14 she gave me a demo cassette at one of the RTÉ Radio 2 Larks In The Park, but I don’t remember that.

She told me she was making a record and I invited her to The Pogues the next night but she declined, saying she’d be mixing her record. I said: “Surely you can postpone mixing for one night?”, and Sinéad said no, she couldn’t.

When she came to my hotel and played me her music, I understood. This was one special person and her music – particularly Troy – was beyond amazing.

Out in London, late 1980s

Sinéad had arrived in London shortly before and hardly knew anyone so we used to gad about. The first gig I took her to was by my chum Steve Marriott, who had been in the Small Faces and Humble Pie.

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Sinéad was knocked out by Steve’s incredible singing. Later that night we ended up at a house party in Notting Hill Gate, it was brilliant, we were the only white people there and everyone treated us incredibly warmly.

Late Night with David Letterman, 1987

In New York, Sinéad had just recorded for Late Night with David Letterman and this is her with fans as we were leaving. You can see on the fans’ faces their potential madness. It was scary – though Sinéad signed for all.

At the Grammys, 1989

This was the day of the 1989 Grammys in Hollywood. Sinéad was waiting to have the Public Enemy logo cut into her hair, as a protest against the way the Grammys treated rap music.

After the Grammys – she sang Mandinka and was amazing – we went to an “Oo La La” posh restaurant. Our waiter ran through what was on the menu and when he said “strawberries dipped in chocolate”, I knew from her body language that was what Sinéad wanted. And when it was time for the sweet, she piped up and announced that she’d like the strawberries in chocolate. The waiter was nonplussed. “Light or dark chocolate, madam?” he queried.

Coming home from the Grammys, 1989

Flying with Sinéad, she was so terrified that she’d hold on to your hand so tight that it would almost stop your blood-flow. This is coming back to London from the Grammys.

When we got to London, there at the luggage carousel was George Harrison who had been on the same flight. I knew George from Apple Records days and I asked him if I could take a photograph of him with Sinéad. “Sure,” George said. But Sinéad’s baggage came through first and she couldn’t wait to go. “What about George?” I said. “No, I want to see my children,” she replied. So dear George was stood up

London video shoot, 1998

This is from Sinéad’s video shoot in London in 1998 for the song Chiquitita, the Abba song. It was done for charity. Lord knows how much money she gave to charity... more than a small amount.

Sinéad even gave away the house she had in Los Angeles. She was the kindest, a protest singer who became a pop star almost by default. God bless her.

As a priest in Dublin, 1999

This is Sinéad when she became a priest. She was totally serious but we still had a laugh with it. Amazing how many people were freaked over it. I used to call her The Rev.