THE singer Sinead O'Connor said last night that the withdrawal of Trocaire's backing for a concert in which she is to appear was an issue about Sinead O'Connor, it's about freedom of speech.
Four years ago she tore up a picture of the Pope on a US television programme. "This is nothing personal against Sinead O'Connor. But we are dependent on the support of Catholic people and when she ripped up a picture of the Pope, we were deluged with protests," said a spokesman for Trocaire.
The concert, to be held in Dublin on November 10th, is to mark the first anniversary of the execution of the Nigerian writer and civil rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa.
Ms O'Connor said: "My action in tearing up the picture was to create controversy about things that needed to be discussed, which was what Ken Saro-Wiwa was about, the right to criticise and oppose authority."
Trocaire first asked for the singer to be dropped, but other artists appearing at the event countered that they would not perform unless she was involved.
Ms O'Connor said Trocaire was passing up a perfect fund-raising opportunity.
"Do the children in Africa give a shit where the money comes from? From a business and financial point of view, it's a pretty stupid move," she said.
Mr Peter McDonald, spokesman for the Body Shop, one of the other concert organisers, regretted Trocaire's decision, but said that the show would go ahead.