Funeral to be held for Oscar-winning songwriter Glen Hansard
The 56-year-old, who shot to prominence in 1991 musical comedy film The Commitments, died in a motorcycle crash last week.
The funeral for Oscar-winning Irish singer and songwriter Glen Hansard, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident in Dublin last week, is scheduled to take place later today. Hansard, 56, rose to fame with the 1991 musical comedy film *The Commitments* and was the long-standing frontman of the acclaimed rock band The Frames.
His sudden passing sent shockwaves through the music community and among fans, prompting an outpouring of tributes from artists such as Ed Sheeran, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen, who expressed his heartbreak. A public wake held in Dublin on Monday saw many people paying their respects. The funeral service, to be held at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin on Tuesday, will include musical performances by his friends and family. Tributes, including candles and flowers, were laid in Temple Bar, Dublin, where a book of condolence was also signed by many for the Oscar-winning Irish musician.
Music was central to Hansard's life, from the moment he first picked up a guitar as a teenager until his final hours, when he was performing in a traditional music session. His career spanned over three decades, highlighted by his Academy Award win for Best Original Song in 2008 with Marketa Irglova for their work on the low-budget musical romance film *Once*. Together, Hansard and Irglova released three albums as The Swell Season. Hansard also achieved solo success, with his 2016 album *Didn't He Ramble* earning a Grammy nomination in 2016.
He formed The Frames a year before *The Commitments*, going on to release six studio albums, including *Dance The Devil*, *For The Birds*, and the Irish chart-topper *Burn The Maps*. Hansard also released five solo albums, with his most recent being 2023's *All That Was East Is West Of Me*.
The musician, who became a father three years ago, was also recognized by charities for his efforts in raising money for the homeless. In 2010, he initiated an annual Christmas Eve busk in Dublin City Centre, which attracted high-profile musicians like Sinéad O'Connor and Shane McGowan. Artist Colin Davidson, a friend of Hansard's, described the busk as having become "an international Irish institution in its own right."
Following Hansard's death, many traveled to sign a book of condolence in Temple Bar, Dublin. Thousands of fans also queued to pay their respects at his public wake on Monday. Fans shared memories of attending his concerts and seeing him busking on the street. Danni Rohde, a fan of The Frames, expressed that it "doesn't feel real." Another fan, Chris James, recalled seeing Hansard busking for the first time 25 years ago on Dublin's Grafton Street, stating, "I thought it one of the coolest things I'd ever seen and one of the reasons I picked up and started playing guitar." One fan described his death as "a loss to Ireland."