LONDON - Cranberries fans came in their thousands on Sunday to a church in Limerick, Ireland to pay respects to the band's frontman Dolores O'Riordan.

Her mother, as well as her five brothers and sister, accompanied the coffin holding her body into St Joseph's Church, according to the RTE national broadcaster.

Footage of the crowds showed mourners braving adverse weather and sheltering under umbrellas as they queued to enter the church and file past the open coffin.

The Irish Times reported that fans at the four-hour viewing saw a floral tribute - from her bandmates - that carried a message saying: "The song has ended but the memories linger on." That is a nod to one of their enduring hits called Linger.

The coffin has two photos of O'Riordan meeting the late Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.

The BBC reported that the coffin will be relocated to a funeral home in Ballyneety for another public viewing before she is laid to rest on Tuesday at St Ailbes' Church in Ballybricken.

Only family members will attend the private burial, with speculation that the singer will be buried next to her father who died in 2011.

Her body was found by staff in a hotel bathroom in London last Monday.

The 46-year-old had been scheduled to record a song last week.

The police have ruled out anything suspicious about the death while autopsy results are expected in April.