Thousands gather in Dublin for Glen Hansard funeral after motorcycle crash

More than 11,000 people paid their respects to Glen Hansard in Dublin, turning his public wake into a national farewell before a funeral that drew some of the biggest names in Irish and international music. The turnout at the Baroque Chapel in the Irish Museum of Modern Art showed how widely the 56-year-old singer-songwriter’s work had traveled beyond one scene or generation.

Hansard died last week in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. Irish police said a man in his 50s died in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan before 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and his family said they were “deeply shocked and heartbroken.”

The response around Dublin reflected the span of Hansard’s career. He shot to prominence after being cast in The Commitments in 1991, later became the long-time frontman of The Frames and won an Academy Award for “Falling Slowly,” the song he shared with Markéta Irglová in Once. His death quickly became a national moment because the public figures gathered around the service mirrored the breadth of his audience, from Irish contemporaries to global artists who had followed him for decades.

Bono, Eddie Vedder and Hozier were among the mourners and public tributes reported around the funeral, alongside Imelda May, Declan O’Rourke and Jerry Fish. The names around the cathedral underscored the reach of Hansard’s songs across Irish popular music and beyond, with Vedder’s presence carrying its own weight after Hansard had recently spoken about their close friendship. NME had noted that Vedder reached out after a tragedy at one of Hansard’s live shows.

Hansard’s family announced a public wake for Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, at the Baroque Chapel at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a public funeral on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin at 1:30 p.m. Music at the funeral was to be provided by his friends and family, a fitting detail for an artist whose work moved from film to arena-sized acclaim while staying rooted in Dublin’s music community.