Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard dies in motorcycle crash

Oscar-winning Irish musician, Glen Hansard has died at the age of 56 following a motorcycle collision in Lucan on Wednesday morning.

Gardaí were alerted to a single-vehicle collision at Strawberry Beds in Lucan at approximately 4:30am on Wednesday morning where the motorcyclist, later confirmed to be Glen Hansard, was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Hansard was the founder of The Frames who released seven studio albums, including the 1995 record Fitzcarraldo, boasting the band’s hit song Revelate – four of these albums charted in the top ten of the Irish Album Charts.

The Dublin musician was renowned as one of Ireland’s finest songwriters and had received several accolades throughout his career, such as a Grammy and Oscar.

The Ballymun native with Lucan connections also gained attention as an actor, first as guitar player, Outspan Foster in the 1991 Bafta-nominated Alan Parker film The Commitments, set in Dublin’s northside.

He most famously starred in the Irish music drama Once and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly”, alongside several other major awards.

The film later became a Broadway musical which he scooped up a Grammy Award for his work on the attached album.

He was also known to be part of the Christmas busk in Dublin every year, and had originally began his career in the same manner at the age of 13.

The folk artist was one also half of the duo Swell Season and released several solo albums, including Rhythm and Repose in 2012.

His second album, released in 2015, Didn’t He Ramble was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.

In October 2022, Glen and his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa welcomed a son, Christy and tied the knot later that year.

In October 2023, the musician released his final solo album All That Is West Is East Of Me Now.