Death of The Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan is 'not being treated as suspicious'

The Irish singer was found dead at the age of 46 at a hotel in London's Park Lane yesterday morning.

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 09.05am on Monday January 15 to a hotel in Park Lane, W1.

"A 46-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene."

They added: "The death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be compiled for the coroner."

O'Riordan was renowned for her distinctive singing voice and The Cranberries enjoyed huge success in the 1990s with tracks including Zombie, Linger and Dreams.

She had been in London to record a cover of Zombie with hard rock band Bad Wolves.

Tributes poured in from the world following her death.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar posted on Twitter: "For anyone who grew up in Ireland in the 1990s, Dolores O’Riordan was the voice of a generation. As the female lead singer of a hugely successful rock band, she blazed a trail and might just have been Limerick’s greatest ever rock star. RIP."

In a statement Irish President Michael D Higgins said: "I recall with fondness the late Limerick TD Jim Kemmy’s introduction of her and The Cranberries to me, and the pride he and so many others took in their successes. To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and the performing arts her death will be a big loss.”

In Scotland, Pete Wishart, the SNP MP and a former member of the band Runrig, posted a video to O'Riordan singing the Cranberries hit Zombie, about The Troubles in Northern Ireland, saying: "Just one of the great 'political songs'. Personal, powerful and profound. RIP Dolores."

The National's columnist Vonnie Leclerc tweeted: "So very sad to hear about Dolores O’Riordan. She was a singular talent. Such a loss.

O'Riordan's publicist said yesterday that her family members are “devastated to hear the breaking news” and have requested privacy “at this very difficult time”.

O’Riordan was born in Ballybricken, Co Limerick, in 1971, the youngest of seven children. She joined The Cranberries in Limerick in 1990. They were one of the biggest Irish bands of the 1990s, selling more than 40 million records over their career. They split up in 2003 and re-formed in 2009.

Last year the band released an acoustic album, Something Else, but had to cancel tour dates in Europe and North America because of O’Riordan’s ill health.

She is survived by her ex-husband, Don Burton, and her three children, Taylor Baxter, Molly Leigh and Dakota Rain.

This morning a number of fans braved the adverse weather conditions to sign a book of condolences opened at Limerick City and County Council.

One of the first to sign the book was the principal of the singer's old school, Laurel Hill Colaiste in Limerick.

Aedin Ni Bhriain said the school is very proud of everything O'Riordan achieved.

She said she never forgot her roots and even asked the school choir to sing at her wedding.

"We wanted to express our sympathy to her family because it is such a loss for them and also to show our deep love for everything she did and out admiration for everything she achieved," she told the Press Association.

"We are very proud of her as a past pupil and also because she was a Limerick woman who never forgot she was a Limerick woman. She kept the links with Limerick. We are so proud of everything she achieved."

In a post on Twitter, the school added: "The school community of Laurel Hill Colaiste FCJ would like to express its heartfelt sympathy to the family of Dolores O Riordan on their sad loss.

"She was always proud of her Limerick roots and we are very proud of her as a past pupil.

"She was a lover of music during her years here in school, a love which continued throughout her life.

"She had many friends here and maintained her link with the school after graduating, inviting the school choir to sing at her wedding some years later."

The Mayor of Limerick, Stephen Keary, said O'Riordan "put Limerick on the music map and on a world stage".

"She achieved so much in her short years. Her memory will live on," he added.

The singer had been in London to record a cover of Zombie with hard rock band Bad Wolves and, hours before her death, had sounded "full of life", according to her friend and music producer Dan Waite.

He said: "Dolores left me a voice message just after midnight (Monday) stating how much she loved Bad Wolves' version of Zombie; she was looking forward to seeing me in the studio and recording vocals.

"She sounded full of life, was joking and excited to see me and and my wife this week.”