The death of the Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan is not being treated as suspicious, Scotland Yard has said.



The Irish musician was found dead at the Hilton hotel in Park Lane, London, on Monday morning. She had been in the capital to record a cover of Zombie, one of her group’s biggest hits, with the hard rockers Bad Wolves.

Dolores O'Riordan: anguished 90s star whose voice lingers on Read more

A police spokeswoman confirmed the case had now been passed on to a coroner. A statement said: “Police in Westminster have dealt with a sudden death. Officers were called at 9.05am on Monday 15 January to a hotel in Park Lane, W1. A 46-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be compiled for the coroner.”

O’Riordan, from Friarstown, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, was renowned for her distinctive singing voice. The Cranberries enjoyed huge success in the 1990s and O’Riordan performed with them until 2003 when the band split.

Their hits began with the song Linger, which reached the Top 10 in the US and Ireland, and 14 in the UK. The band built on the success of the song and their album, Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, with their next album, 1994’s No Need to Argue.

Play Video 1:30 Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries dies aged 46 – video obituary

The lead single Zombie, written in the wake of a 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington that killed three-year-old Jonathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Parry, showed a new side to the band and to O’Riordan’s voice.

Parry’s father was among those who paid tribute to O’Riordan. Colin Parry, who has worked as a peace campaigner since the atrocity, said he had no idea that the song Zombie was inspired by the explosion in the Cheshire town.

He said the words of the song were “majestic and very real” and he had not known about the significance of the words and its subject matter until after O’Riordan’s death on Monday.

He told Radio Ulster: “To read the words written by an Irish band in such a compelling way was very, very powerful. I liken it to the enormous amount of mail expressing huge sympathy that we received in the days, weeks and months following our loss.”



A statement from O’Riordan’s publicist on Monday described her death as sudden, adding: “Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

A spokeswoman for the London Hilton on Park Lane said: “It is with deep regret that we can confirm a guest sadly passed away at the hotel on Monday 15 January. We offer our sincere condolences to their family at this difficult time.”

A Cranberries reunion tour last year had to be cancelled because O’Riordan was suffering from a back problem. The other members of the band – Noel and Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler – tweeted:

The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) We are devastated on the passing of our friend Dolores. She was an extraordinary talent and we feel very privileged to have been part of her life from 1989 when we started the Cranberries. The world has lost a true artist today.

Noel, Mike and Fergal

The Irish president, Michael Higgins, said he learned of the news with “great sadness”, adding: “To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and the performing arts, her death will be a big loss.”