Big Bald Lake was a second home for Dolores O’Riordan
Dolores O’Riordan, the defiant voice of Irish rock band Cranberries who split her time between Ireland and Peterborough County in recent years, has died suddently at 46.
She spent part of the last decade living in a waterfront home on Big Bald Lake, near Buckhorn, north of Peterborough. She and her Canadian husband, Don Burton, bought the property more than 10 years ago and made the decision to live there full-time in 2009.
The cover art for her second and final solo album, 2009’s No Baggage, featured a shot of her on a frozen Big Bald Lake in the backyard of her home.
She moved back to Ireland in 2013 and the marriage ended the year after.
Their son Taylor graduated from Lakefield College School in 2015.
O’Riordan found a certain solace in her second home in Peterborough County. When she wasn’t performing rock anthems like “Zombie,” “Linger” and “Dreams” before audiences of thousands, O’Riordan was often at the cottage.
It was there she escaped from her sometimes relentless global fame and lived for years with her family. The region was also fruitful grounds for her two solo albums.
“I’m half a Canuck,” she said in a 2009 interview with The Canadian Press. “I’ve spent half my life here now.”
O’Riordan was found dead Monday at a hotel in London, where she was recording new music. Her publicist said the singer’s family is “devastated.” The cause of her death wasn’t immediately available.
With Burton, their two kids and a child from Burton’s previous relationship, they spent years dividing time between Ireland and their Ontario cottage.
When they met, the Torontoborn Burton was the tour manager for Duran Duran but he wound up taking on O’Riordan’s career.
Though they eventually divorced, O’Riordan kept her connections to Canada. On Boxing Day, she posted on social media that she was headed to Ontario to spend time with her family.
She frequently talked about how she enjoyed the province. Whether it was riding a Sea-Doo or a snowmobile she was known for exploring the great outdoors.
“You can really get lost here, and I like that,” she said.
“The seasons are so dramatic here — from the snow in the winter to the beauty of the autumn, the colours of the leaves falling — so I have a piano outside my window and sometimes I start off there with ideas, just using nature as a backdrop.”
O’Riordan released two solo albums that were recorded in Canada. “Are You Listening,” in 2007, was produced at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ont., and EMAC Recording Studios in London, Ont.
Her 2009 followup, “No Baggage,” was recorded solely at EMAC.
Robert Nation, owner of the EMAC studio, remembers O’Riordan’s unabating sense of self whenever she was working.
“She had to be totally inspired and in the moment. If she wasn’t she’d say, ’I’m going to go out for a while, get outside and let you know what I’m doing later,’” Nation said.
“She knew when she was feeling right and when she was comfortable. It was the first time I came across (someone) like that.”
-- with files from David Friend, The Canadian Press
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