Fans in his native Ireland and around the world expressed condolences online this week after news broke that musician and actor Glen Hansard was killed in a motorcycle collision.
Hansard leaves behind a long catalog of work, including his Oscar-winning track on the soundtrack for the independent film “Once.”
The New York Post provided these details:
“With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard in the early hours of this morning,” the statement read.
ADVERTISEMENT“We are still dealing with the shock of it all, so we kindly ask that the privacy of Glen’s family, colleagues and friends is respected at this difficult time.”
Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin mourned Hansard’s sudden death, calling him “a talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years.”
Tributes soon started to pour in via social media:
Sometimes I would wonder if Glen Hansard really existed….
Seriously, he was such an angelic presence… not otherworldly…in fact, very present this presence…
A smiling rascal if you needed him to be… this most musical and mischievous archangel of Ballymun… no airs, plenty… pic.twitter.com/8d8Cw6YTSb— U2 (@U2) July 29, 2026
Here’s the full text from U2’s Bono:
Sometimes I would wonder if Glen Hansard really existed….
Seriously, he was such an angelic presence… not otherworldly…in fact, very present this presence…
A smiling rascal if you needed him to be… this most musical and mischievous archangel of Ballymun… no airs, plenty of graces…
Of course, Glen was the shining star of the Christmas Eve busk… sometimes the only one reminding the rest of us that Christmas began with a refugee born in a manger, which is hardly a step from living on the street.
To be utterly yourself by being more interested in others – a clue for any of us trying out different personas. He really was who you thought he was. He could never walk by a person living rough without checking they were OK… and more than that, he worked very hard so that less people had to live on the streets in the first place.
ADVERTISEMENTWhen the crowds got bigger and for safety’s sake Glen had to agree to move the busk to a stage kindly provided outside The Gaiety Theatre, he would say ‘we’ll give it our best but it’s not a busk if we’re not on the street!’ …because that’s who he was – a performer at eye level in any situation. The stage was a separation he wouldn’t recognize. Of all the grand and gigantic venues he and The Frames played, you sensed the street was his most favoured place to perform. And street people, his favourite audience.
Voice of the streets. A choir of angels in one man. The rest of us blessed to stand there beside our very own and very earthed Angel Gabriel… All of us welcome in his choir, whatever shape or form.
….and I’m telling myself this morning that if he never existed, then he can never cease to exist. For me, he will always be everywhere I see a coin spinning into an open guitar case.
May you rest in the peace you gave to so many.
Bono
RIP Glenn one of the all time greats . Dreadfully sad
— conor woods (@woodzycon) July 29, 2026
Absolutely heartbreaking. 💔 Glen Hansard's music, especially Falling Slowly, touched so many people. Rest in peace, and condolences to his family and loved ones.
— Shola (@djjokotola) July 29, 2026
Per Fox News:
Born in Ballymun, Dublin, in 1970, he began playing music as a teenager while busking throughout the city.
In 1990, he founded The Frames, a band that developed a devoted following over several decades. Around the same time, Hansard expanded into acting, appearing as guitarist Outspan Foster in Alan Parker’s 1991 film “The Commitments.”
His career continued to evolve after “Once.” Alongside Irglová, he formed The Swell Season while also maintaining an active solo career.
ADVERTISEMENTHis 2015 album “Didn’t He Ramble” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album.
Hansard was equally recognized for the way he remained connected to Dublin’s music community despite his international success.
Each Christmas Eve, he gathered fellow musicians outside Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre for a charity busking tradition benefiting the Dublin Simon Community, an annual event that became a holiday fixture for locals.
Here’s a performance of his Oscar-winning song:
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