Cranberries star Dolores O’Riordan was at home in her native Co Limerick last night after being arrested in connection with an alleged air rage incident on board a flight from New York.
The 43-year-old singer was arrested at Shannon Airport shortly before 5am in connection with alleged assaults on an Aer Lingus flight attendant and a Garda officer.
Flight EI110 from New York landed an hour ahead of schedule at Shannon and passengers were waiting to disembark when it is claimed the singer became disruptive.
One passenger described in a tweet how Ms O’Riordan boarded the flight at JFK wearing a superhero mask. Another claimed the singer shouted about how she has sold 50 million albums and started singing one of her band’s biggest hits - Zombie - at the top of her voice as passengers were waiting to disembark.
It is alleged the Cranberries star refused to sit down and jumped into the air and stamped on air steward Carmel Coyne’s foot, causing her injury.
Arrested
It is also alleged the former Voice of
Ireland
mentor assaulted a garda as she was being arrested at Shannon Airport.
A fellow passenger on board the flight tweeted that the singer boarded the aircraft in JFK wearing a red and black coloured superhero mask. Pat Carroll posted on his Twitter page at 11.14pm from New York: “So Deloras [sic] ‘Cranberry’ O’Riordan just boarded our JFK/SNN flight wearing red and black Superhero mask . . . #strange”
Mr Carroll, who is originally from Limerick, confirmed his tweet yesterday, but did not wish to comment further.
An economy passenger who did not wish to be named described how Ms O’Riordan – who was travelling in business class – could be heard from the other side of the curtain shouting about the number of albums she has sold.
“I could hear her shouting, ‘I sold 50 million albums – how dare you talk to me like that.’ She said that at least twice and then she started singing Zombie at the top of her voice,” the passenger recalled. “I didn’t see her stamp on anyone’s foot but I saw one of the air hostesses limping,” he added.
Suspected fracture
The garda was not injured but an ambulance was called for Ms Coyne who was taken to University Hospital Limerick with a suspected fractured foot.
Ms O’Riordan was taken to Shannon Garda station for questioning but after being seen by a GP she was accompanied by gardaí to University Hospital Limerick for medical assessment at about 10am.
She was released from Garda custody at about 3.35pm into the care of her mother Eileen. It is understood Ms O’Riordan will stay in the care of her family and Garda interviews will continue when she is well enough. It is likely a file will be prepared for the DPP on the matter once questioning is completed.
A spokesman for Shannon Airport confirmed there was an incident on board the daily EI110 New York-Shannon service on its arrival at 4.47am and the matter is now being handled by An Garda Síochána.
Ms O’Riordan was travelling in the company of a man who was not involved in the alleged incidents.