Hundreds of people gathered to watch the memorial busk, which had to finish earlier than billed because of the significant numbers arriving. The event was staged a day after Glen Hansard was killed in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin.
Musicians assembled at the statue of folk singer Luke Kelly near Grafton Street to sing songs made famous by Hansard, including a rousing rendition of Falling Slowly. The singalong took place close to the Gaiety Theatre, the location where Hansard would hold his traditional Christmas Eve charity busk.
Jamie Harrington, from the same Ballymun suburb where Hansard grew up, organised the tribute on Thursday evening. He said one of the musicians participating was playing a guitar that Hansard had given him because he did not have one of his own.
“I organised this today because I wanted to give people who are also fans of Glen a chance to gather and be together with other people who are also sad,” Mr Harrington told the Press Association. “You know, it’s a really, really sad time. Glen was a legend to many of us. He was a friend to me, and I was very lucky to have Glen as a friend and as someone I could rely on and depend on when things needed to be done.
“And, you know, from talking to people here today, Glen has touched so many people’s lives by never even meeting them. His music resonates with people all over the world. But he’s just a kid from Ballymun at the end of the day – Ballymun to the world.”
Book of condolence at the Mansion House
Members of the public queued up to sign a book of condolence at the Mansion House on Thursday. Visitors appeared tearful after leaving their messages, calling Hansard a “musician’s musician” who had a gift of bringing people together.
Gary Carroll, a five-string banjo player from Malahide who is living in Maynooth, was on his way to go for a swim in Bray when he stopped to pay his respects. He said: “He never forgot where he came from, he was with the crowd, the crowd followed him, he could mix with the crowd, he loved to go and play in sessions, and he’d bring the best out in people.
“If he seen someone struggling with a song, he’d help them out with it. That’s what music is all about, it’s about spreading it around. He learned his trade, like most musicians in Dublin, by going out in the street. It’s amazing, if you play in the street, the amount of confidence it actually gives you, because if you can play in the street you can play anywhere. And Glen was a firm believer in that and he pushed that message. He was all about helping the struggling musician coming up. He will definitely be missed. He was unique, special, and maybe someday, please God, they’ll name a street after him. He’ll be missed. It’s a sad day.”
Musical legacy
Hansard, 56, was the frontman of Irish band The Frames, featured in the celebrated film The Commitments, and won an Oscar for best original song for Falling Slowly in 2008. He co-wrote the song with Markéta Irglová for the movie Once.
He began an annual Christmas Eve charity busk outside the Gaiety Theatre 16 years ago, drawing members of the public to see famous Irish musicians perform in aid of the homeless in the city. He also took part in protests against Ireland’s housing crisis, a march to mark three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the anti-austerity water charge protests in 2014.
Worldwide tributes
Tributes poured in from across the world, including from Bruce Springsteen, U2, Bob Geldof and Ed Sheeran. Springsteen said Hansard was “a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man”, while U2 frontman Bono described Hansard as an “angelic presence” and a “smiling rascal”.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the award-winning US musical Hamilton, posted to Instagram to say Hansard was a “once in a lifetime songwriter”. US pop superstar Billie Eilish said she “wouldn’t be who I am today without Glen”. Singer Damien Dempsey called Hansard the “Ballymun Bard” and “one of the finest songwriters I ever heard”.
“When you ripped into a song you’d rip the roof off the venue and rip your heart out of your chest and hand it to us,” Dempsey said. “A monumental power and a monumental loss.”
The final hours
Hansard died in a crash in the early hours of Wednesday, hours after taking part in a trad session at The Wren’s Nest pub. The pub said on Instagram that it was “always a privilege” to host Hansard’s “incredible talent”.
At the Mansion House, Dubliners and visitors queued up to pay their respects in the book of condolence that opened on Thursday. People appeared tearful after signing, with some too upset to be interviewed and others saying “there are no words” to sum up their feelings.
Senator Frances Black, a former musician who met Hansard years ago, said he brought people together through his music. “He encouraged young people to really get into the industry. He knew how difficult it was to get into the industry, and he just encouraged young people to keep performing and keep playing and keep writing songs, and I think that’s what made him special,” she said.
Helen Prendergast from Galway said she was in “shock” when she was told the news in a charity shop. “It took a while to sink in. He was a good guy, he was good to the homeless, he was a decent soul,” she said. “I’m just very sad to see him go.”
Gerry Hannigan from Raheny said Hansard was “such an all-round man” and his death was “tragic”. He recalled how Hansard started busking on the streets of Dublin and worked his way up to a support act for Bob Dylan. “He found out where Dylan would be practising, a practice room somewhere, he hired the room beside it and Dylan heard him – never talked to him but Dylan brought him on as backing,” Hannigan said. “The only contact he had with Dylan was the last concert he had in England – he was standing outside the stage door. Dylan’s limousine went by and then came back and he opened the door and said ‘good gig’ and went off.”
Bobby Kans and his daughter Gigi, from Maryland in the US, had just landed in Ireland for a holiday when they heard the news. Bobby, wearing a T-shirt from Hansard’s US tour, said they had seen him two months ago in Washington DC and a few weeks ago in Philadelphia, and had planned a trip to see him in October. “His music will go on for us, I play him all the time,” he said. “It’s nice the mayor had this today. His music just comes right into your heart. That’s why he’s a musician’s musician.”
Gigi Kans said they were glad to be in Dublin when he died. “His artistry brought so much life and love to everyone, not just to the streets of Dublin but all around the world, and it’s about how to bring people closer together,” she said. “It captured the true meaning of music – you can’t just do it for the money or for the gigs, he did it because he loved it and it showed in his music.”
