Well, that lasted a long time - madcap singer Sinead O'Connor's marriage has ended after just 16 days.

The Irish star got hitched to boyfriend Barry Herridge in a whirlwind ceremony in Las Vegas on 8 December - but the happy couple fell out within hours when O'Connor went searching for some marijuana to celebrate.

She has now announced their marriage is over before it really began, blaming friends of her husband for torpedoing the romance.

In a post on her website, she wrote: "Dear friends, I had for reasons u (sic) will all understand, wished to keep this private but have been told today it is to be leaked in the next few days despite my best efforts. So I must now leak it myself so as the record is straight...

"Within 3 hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed by the behaviour of certain people in my husband's life. And also by a bit of a wild ride I took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for me (sic) wedding night as I don't drink.

"My husband was enormously wounded and very badly effected (sic) 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...

"A woman wants to be a joy to her husband. So... U (sic) love someone? Set them free... I truly believe though it is painful to admit, we made a mistake rushing into getting married, for altruistic reasons, and weren't aware or prepared for the consequences on my husband's life and the lives of those close to him. He has been terribly unhappy and I have therefore ended the marriage."

O'Connor has been married twice before and has four children.