Tributes have poured in from across the world for the Irish musician and activist, who died in a motorcycle crash on Wednesday morning.
Irish singer-songwriter and activist Bob Geldof has said “we have lost one of the greats” in an emotional tribute to Oscar-winning Irish musician and activist Glen Hansard, who died in a motorcycle crash on Wednesday morning.
Hansard, 56, from Ballymun, was the frontman for the Irish band The Frames, featured in the famous Irish film The Commitments, and won an Academy Award for best original song for Falling Slowly in 2008, which he co-wrote with Markéta Irglová for the movie Once.
Tributes have poured in from across the world, including from Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran and U2, following the news of Hansard’s death.
Live Aid co-founder and Boomtown Rats singer Geldof said: “Glen was wonderful.
“The universe lacks mercy or justice that such a sweet, thoughtful, burstingly talented man should be so wantonly and violently killed on an early Irish morning backroad.
“Tragedy does not do justice to this terrible calamity for his family, the world of music and Ireland itself.
“For we have lost one of the great ones. A person and a songwriter and singer and musician and performer of great depth, understanding, compassion, daring and bravado.
“Well Glen, you left us the tunes and when we play and sing and whistle them as we will, then there you’ll be, alive, vital, important and brilliant as you ever were. Safe travels Glen. Miss you.”
U2 frontman Bono described Hansard as an “angelic presence” and “smiling rascal”, adding “the rest of us blessed to stand there beside our very own and very earthed Angel Gabriel”.
In a statement to the Press Association, his publicists ATC management said: “With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard in the early hours of this morning.”
The firm told RTÉ: “Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time.
“The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene.”
Sheeran said in a post on his Instagram story that he was “heartbroken to hear the news” and praised Hansard for being “an incredible human” and “an incredible force”.
He said: “I am grateful for the times we shared together, sending so much love to his family.”
Also paying tribute to the singer was Springsteen, who said in a post on Instagram that he was “heartbroken” at the news and remembered Hansard as always being “positive, smiling and ready to sing”.
“We met in Ireland many years ago and he was always nothing but a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man,” he wrote.
Hansard was one half of the rock duo The Swell Season, and released solo albums including Didn’t He Ramble, which was nominated for a Grammy for best folk album in 2016.
He began the Christmas Eve charity busk outside The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin city 16 years ago, drawing members of the public in to see famous Irish musicians perform in aid of the Dublin Simon Community.
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.
At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed Fairytale Of New York with Irish singer Lisa O’Neill, which prompted dancing in the aisles of the Co Tipperary church.
Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly led tributes to Hansard as “one of Ireland’s great singer-songwriters” and said he was “renowned for his incomparable live performances”.
She added: “Glen was one of the vital driving influences of the Irish music world, bringing people together in the sharing of live music. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him or experienced his work.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin also praised Hansard in a post on social media as being a “talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years.”
Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris expressed his condolences at Hansard’s death and said he had gained “international success over a long and varied career”.
Irish police said a man in his 50s died in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan on the outskirts of the Irish capital before 4.30am on Wednesday.
The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.
Hansard is survived by his wife, the Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their three-year-old son Christy.
