Sinead O'Connor and her fourth husband Barry Herridge have split just 16 days after marrying.

Sinead announced the split at her official website citing an 'intense pressure placed upon him by certain people in his life not to be involved with me'.

The couple split on December 24 after marrying at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas in the back of a Pink Cadillac on December 8.

She said the marriage started to fall apart within hours of tying the knot so she had to 'set him free'.

'Within 3 hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed by the behaviour of certain people in my husband's life,' she wrote. 'And also by a bit of a wild ride i took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for me wedding night as I don't drink. My husband was enormously wounded and very badly effected by that experience and also by the attitude of those close to him toward our marriage. It became apparent to me that if he were to stay with me he would be losing too much to bear. And that being with me was not going to serve him positively , career wise or any other wise. I saw his life leave him because of how people close to him reacted. And I can't take anyone's life. And a woman wants to be a joy to her husband. So.. U love someone? Set them free'.

Sinead describes Barry as 'a wonderful man' and says, 'we parted amicably'.

She said we can go and have 'a great laugh' but added 'As my good friend said 'well, at least you got married in Vegas in a pink Cadillac! Can't get more Rock n Roll than that'.