Glen Hansard funeral held after Oscar-winning songwriter dies in crash

The funeral for Glen Hansard, the Oscar-winning Irish singer-songwriter, will be held on August 4, 2026, at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. He died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin at the age of 56.

Hansard, who first gained prominence in the 1991 film The Commitments, was the longtime frontman of the rock band The Frames. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from the music world. Ed Sheeran, Bono and Bruce Springsteen were among those paying tribute, with Springsteen saying he was “heartbroken.”

In 2008, Hansard won the Academy Award for Best Original Song with Marketa Irglova for the film Once. The pair later released three albums as The Swell Season. His 2016 solo album Didn't He Ramble earned a Grammy nomination.

He formed The Frames in 1990, a year before his breakthrough role in The Commitments, and the band recorded six studio albums, including Dance The Devil, For The Birds and the Irish chart-topper Burn The Maps. Hansard also released five solo albums, the most recent being All That Was East Is West Of Me in 2023.

Beyond music, Hansard was known for his charitable work, particularly for the homeless. In 2010, he started an annual Christmas Eve busk in Dublin City Centre that drew high-profile musicians such as Sinéad O'Connor and Shane McGowan. Friend and artist Colin Davidson described the busk as “an international Irish institution in its own right.”

A public wake on August 3, 2026, drew thousands of fans who queued to pay their respects. Many also signed a book of condolence in Temple Bar. The funeral service will feature musical performances by friends and family.