Kenneth Glad
Tributes have followed the unexpected death of one of Ireland’s best-known performers. His career moved between street music, independent cinema and international stages.
Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard died aged 56 after a motorcycle crash in west Dublin during the early hours of Wednesday, 29 July.
His management confirmed the death as Irish police said an unnamed man in his 50s was found seriously injured beside a motorcycle shortly before 4.30am and died soon afterward.
RTÉ reported that the single-vehicle incident occurred near the Strawberry Beds in Chapelizod. The circumstances remain under investigation.
In a statement released through ATC Management, Hansard’s family said they were “deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss” and asked for privacy.
Hansard became internationally known through Once, the low-budget 2007 film in which he appeared alongside Czech musician Markéta Irglová. Their song “Falling Slowly” won the Academy Award for best original song in 2008.
From busking to film
Hansard left school as a teenager and began performing on Dublin’s streets before fronting the Frames. The group released its debut album in 1991 and later topped the Irish chart with Burn the Maps.
He also appeared in The Commitments, writes The Guardian, but Once brought his music and acting to a far broader audience. Its story of two struggling musicians drew directly on the world of Dublin busking.
A stage version later won eight Tony Awards on Broadway in 2012 and was subsequently produced in Dublin, London and cities around the world.
Hansard and Irglová also recorded as the Swell Season, reuniting for the 2025 album Forward. Alongside his band work, he released five solo records.
Tributes from near and far
Bruce Springsteen wrote on social media that Hansard was “a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man.”
Bono remembered him as an “angelic presence,” while Irish cultural figures praised his generosity and influence.
Decades after beginning as a busker, Hansard continued returning to central Dublin for annual Christmas Eve performances benefiting the Dublin Simon Community.
Hours before the crash, he sang and played guitar during a traditional session at The Wren’s Nest near the Strawberry Beds, according to RTÉ.
Hansard is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their son, Christy.
Sources: RTÉ, The Guardian
