The Oscar-winning musician leaves behind a career shaped by Once, The Frames and a long connection to Dublin.
For a small Irish film made on a limited budget, Once ended up having a huge impact.
Released in 2007, the Dublin love story introduced Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová to a much wider audience, took ‘Falling Slowly’ to the Oscars and was later turned into a Broadway musical that won eight Tony Awards.
The film worked because it felt simple and believable. Two musicians meet, write songs together and gradually fall for each other, with Dublin doing much of the background work.
News of Hansard’s death has therefore been felt well beyond Ireland.
The singer-songwriter, actor and frontman of The Frames died aged 56 following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, west Dublin.
Emergency services attended the scene early in the morning, with Hansard’s management later confirming his death.
Tributes have since come from musicians, friends, political leaders and fans, many of whom remembered him as much for his generosity as his songwriting.
Bruce Springsteen said he was heartbroken by the loss of “a great musician, a good friend, and a generous and gracious man”.
Former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy also focused on Hansard’s work away from the stage.
“Apart from his talent as an artist, he also cared,” Tubridy said. “He cared about the homeless and he cared about Ireland. The Oscar, the achievements and the humanity were all part of a life well lived.”
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Hansard had made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape, while former president Michael D. Higgins remembered him as a troubadour whose storytelling reached audiences around the world.
Hansard’s career began long before Once.
He left school at 13 and began busking on the streets of Dublin before forming The Frames in 1990. A year later, he appeared as guitarist Outspan Foster in Alan Parker’s The Commitments.
The Frames went on to become one of Ireland’s most respected rock bands, building a loyal audience through years of touring and albums including For the Birds, Dance the Devil and Burn the Maps.
Then Once changed the scale of his career.
The semi-autobiographical film followed a Dublin busker and a Czech pianist who meet and begin writing music together. It was low-key, rough around the edges and far removed from the usual Hollywood romance, which was a large part of its appeal.
Hansard and Irglová wrote and performed ‘Falling Slowly’, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008.
The film was later adapted for the stage, with the Broadway production winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Hansard and Irglová also continued performing as The Swell Season, while Hansard’s solo career included the Grammy-nominated album Didn’t He Ramble.
Despite the international attention, he remained closely connected to Dublin.
Hansard regularly took part in the annual Christmas Eve charity busking sessions on Grafton Street, helping raise money for homelessness services and bringing other musicians along.
That part of his life has come up often in the tributes since his death. Once brought him international recognition, but those closest to him have also remembered someone who kept supporting his city and the people around him.
Hansard is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their son, Christy.
