The Cranberries’ lead singer Dolores O’Riordan died on January 15, 2018, and initially her death was reported as a suicide, saddening fans all over the world.
However, after a coroner’s inquest it has now been revealed that O’Riordan’s death at just 46 years old was actually accidental.
Dolores O’Riordan’s cause of death was drowning. She was found submerged in a tub at a hotel in London back in January according to witness testimony.
After months of waiting, NBC reports that O’Riordan’s death has officially been ruled a tragic accident.
This supports reports that there was no suicide note left behind and there was also no evidence of self-harm prior to O’Riordan’s death.
According to Coroner Shirley Radcliffe, who investigated the events leading up to Dolores O’Riordan’s death, the Cranberries singer had been drinking before she died and drowned due to alcohol intoxication.
A new statement from The Cranberries was issued on Thursday via Twitter. In it, they admitted they still “struggle to come to terms with what happened.”
— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) September 6, 2018
The death of Dolores O’Riordan has been the end of an era for a band that came together in the 80s, helped shape the music landscape of the 90s and continued to play shows and record new music up until her death.
In fact, last year, the band was forced to cancel a tour of North America and Europe due to O’Riordan’s health issues. She had problems with her back among other things and also revealed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Despite Dolores O’Riordan’s death, the rest of the group will be finishing the new album that they were working on.
They also will be releasing a 25th-anniversary edition of The Cranberries’ biggest album of their careers, Everybody’s Doing It, So Why Can’t We?