Irish musician Glen Hansard, known for his Oscar-winning song "Falling Slowly" from the film Once and as the frontman of rock group The Frames, has died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56 years old.
Emergency services were alerted shortly before 4:30 AM local time on Wednesday, and Hansard was pronounced dead at the scene after a single-vehicle collision on Lower Road in Lucan, west of Dublin. Irish police confirmed the death of a man in his 50s, later identified as Hansard.
ATC Management, representing Hansard, released a statement expressing shock and requesting privacy for his family, colleagues, and friends. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin also paid tribute, calling Hansard a "talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland's cultural landscape."
Background and Career
Hansard rose to fame as the lead singer of The Frames and later starred in the 1991 film The Commitments. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008 for "Falling Slowly," co-written with Markéta Irglová, his co-star in Once. He also formed the duo The Swell Season with Irglová and released solo albums, including Didn’t He Ramble, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2016.
Activism and Legacy
Beyond music, Hansard was known for his activism, participating in protests against Ireland’s housing crisis, anti-austerity movements, and Ukraine solidarity marches. He also led an annual Christmas Eve charity busk outside Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre to support the Dublin Simon Community.
At the funeral of Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed Fairytale of New York with Lisa O’Neill, prompting an emotional response from attendees. He is survived by his partner, poet Maire Saaritsa, and their 4-year-old son, Christy.
The crash remains under investigation by Irish authorities.