originally published: 01/17/2026
Photo by Maria Wurtz
Limerick-born, New-Jersey based roots artist Helen O'Shea released her latest single "Lost" to honor Dolores O'Riordan (The Cranberries) on the 8th anniversary of her passing on January 15th.
The release follows latest single "Caged Birds", honouring Sinéad O'Connor, which featured acclaimed artist and songwriter Liam O'Maonlaí of Hothouse Flowers. "Caged Birds" earned extensive praise across Irish and international media, including addition to the RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends List for two consecutive weeks.
"Lost" is the fifth song to be released in advance of the 12-track album Songs In The Key of O, which pays tribute to Sinead O'Connor and Dolores O'Riordan. The album is already receiving acclaim in the US, the UK and Ireland with Hot Press noting O'Shea's work as, "a stunning tribute."
A star who burned brightly for a tragically short time, Dolores O'Riordan brought much beauty to the hometown she shared with O'Shea, through her singing and her songwriting, representing their home county of Limerick, Ireland with pride before her tragic passing in 2018.
On the origin of O'Riordan's deep influence on her, O'Shea recalls an impactful experience during her medical school days, when her brother, a student at what was then NIHE (now University Of Limerick), came home with a mixtape that included The Cranberries' renowned single, "Linger". The stunning voice of Dolores left a lasting impact on O'Shea - another Limerick girl. Dolores was living the singing dream that O'Shea longed for, and with a voice unlike any other. When O'Shea was blessed to begin her singing journey much later in life, she carried with her the influences of all the girl singers she loved, but most of all, her two countrywomen, Sinéad O'Connor and Dolores O'Riordan, with whom culturally she shares so much more with than just a love of song.
O'Shea had researched Dolores O'Riordan's vast catalog, selecting three songs that most resonated with her for her upcoming album, Song in the Key of O. The third of these three songs, "Lost", is taken from The Cranberries' 1990 album In The End.
One of O'Shea's personal favorites, the poignancy and depth of feeling conveyed by the band evokes the true reality of being completely 'lost', without any sign of hope. O'Shea's producer, GRAMMY award winner Marc Swersky, heard the song more as a troubled conversation and less as a melodic song, so in the studio he gently pushed O'Shea out of her comfort zone to achieve that heartfelt conversation with herself.
Swersky explains that he "felt the spirit of Leonard Cohen make his way into this song in the studio, as the musicians fell into line with ease", creating a message of profound loss, as expressed by O'Riordan in what is one of her final recordings with The Cranberries.
Songs in the Key of O (to be released on May 1, 2026) features a talented list of collaborators, including Nathan Bishop, Nicole Scorsone, Brielle Brown, Michelle Moore (Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - E Street Choir), Fiona Tyndall, Lauren O'Shea, Liam O'Maonlaí, James Maddock, The Carlile Family Band and more, with the LP engineered by Jack Daley (Spin Doctors), mixed by Seth Von Paulus (Linda Perry) and mastered by Leon Zervos.
Announcing the album Songs In The Key of O in July with a special Jersey-girls cover of Sinéad O'Connor's "Dense Water Deep Down", O'Shea earned strong international support from Hot Press, Front View Magazine, Vents Magazine and more, launching the highly collaborative LP with flair. Succeeding this was August single "Rock and Roll Angel (feat. Barry Murphy)", a delicate original track penned with two-time GRAMMY award winning producer Marc Swersky, in honour of O'Riordan, which was soon followed by "Caged Birds", honouring Sinéad O'Connor on her 59th Birthday.
With the heart of a healer and the grace of grit, Ireland-born, New Jersey-based artist Helen O'Shea is trailblazing a path of hope and possibility, sharing her unguarded story so that others may step fully into their power.
Helen's journey from medicine to motherhood to music embodies resilience, reinvention, and the power of learning to heal. Blending Americana and Celtic influences into her signature sound, which she calls AmeriCeltiCana, her music and message resonate deeply with women and mothers rediscovering themselves later in life.
Through Helen's metamorphosis, she holds fiercely to her personal mantra, Turning Tides Make Sturdy Souls, reflecting her belief that life's challenges—both joyful and painful—are what shape us. Embracing transformation takes courage, and through her music, Helen extends a hand, reminding us that we don't have to take the first step alone.
Before entering the music world, Helen dedicated years to a distinguished medical career as an obstetrician/gynecologist. She attended medical school at the University College Galway (UCG) Ireland, where she met her husband, Paul O'Shea, PhD. She then spent a number of years as an Assistant Professor in Medical Research and Medical School Teaching at the prestigious McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she became a leader in perinatal research and medical education. She created Healing in Medicine, a groundbreaking course that taught medical students, residents, and physicians how to handle the complexities of caring for vulnerable patients and their families.
Even as a doctor, Helen's deepest calling was to be a healer—not just of the body, but of the human spirit. She has been a guiding light for many while quietly navigating her own struggles behind the scenes.
Her return to the US in 2011, where she had lived briefly in the 90s, was rough on her children and coincided with their request that she stop working in medicine and stay home with them after school—an idea which surprised Helen, but which she and her husband fully supported. She explains: "Two days into my new life, without my lifelong identity as Dr. Helen McNamara, I began to settle into life as housewife Helen O'Shea, with great difficulty. It was then that my husband said "You've always wanted to sing - this is your chance."
Helen rediscovered her life-long passion for music, quickly becoming a dynamic force in the independent music scene, collaborating with two-time Grammy winner Marc Swersky (Joe Cocker, Natalie Cole), winning Best Americana Song for "Sturdy Soul" at the Global Music Awards, and earning nominations for the 2024 Josie Awards and the International Singer-Songwriter Award for Best Duo with Alexander Simone for their collaboration on "Holy Mother".
