Glen Hansard, the Oscar-winning Irish musician and activist, died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin on Wednesday morning. He was 56.
Hansard, from Ballymun, was the frontman of the band The Frames, appeared in the film The Commitments, and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly" in 2008, co-written with Markéta Irglová for the movie Once. He also founded the annual Christmas Eve busk near Grafton Street to raise funds for the homeless.
Tributes
Ireland's President Catherine Connolly led tributes, describing Hansard as "one of Ireland's great singer-songwriters" and praising his "incomparable live performances". She said he and The Frames "stood out as one of the leaders of the thriving wave of Irish bands who emerged in the 1990s" and noted his charitable work, particularly the Christmas Eve busk.
U2 frontman Bono called Hansard an "angelic presence" and a "smiling rascal", adding, "the rest of us blessed to stand there beside our very own and very earthed Angel Gabriel". Bruce Springsteen and Ed Sheeran also paid tribute.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was "deeply saddened" and called Hansard "a talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland's cultural landscape". Tánaiste Simon Harris expressed condolences, noting his "international success over a long and varied career".
Career and activism
Hansard was also one half of the rock duo The Swell Season and released solo albums, including Didn't He Ramble, nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016. He began the Christmas Eve charity busk outside The Gaiety Theatre 16 years ago, drawing famous musicians to perform for the Dublin Simon Community.
He took part in protests against Ireland's housing crisis, a march marking three years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the anti-austerity water charge protests in 2014. At the funeral of The Pogues' Shane MacGowan in 2023, he performed Fairytale of New York with Irish singer Lisa O'Neill, prompting dancing in the church.
Crash details
Irish police said a man in his 50s died in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the outskirts of Dublin, before 4.30am on Wednesday. The man was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later. Hansard's publicists ATC management confirmed his death, saying, "With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard in the early hours of this morning." They added that his family is "deeply shocked and heartbroken" and requested privacy.
Hansard is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their three-year-old son, Christy.
