Glen Hansard’s final performance captured hours before his death as public wake confirmed
Heartbreaking footage of Glen Hansard's final performance has emerged, capturing the Oscar-winning musician singing and playing acoustic guitar just hours before his tragic death. The video, filmed on Tuesday night, July 28, shows the 56-year-old frontman of The Frames taking part in a traditional Irish music session at The Wren's Nest pub in Chapelizod, a suburban village of Dublin. He was performing at around 11:15pm when he left the pub at its usual weekday closing time of 11:30pm.
Just hours later, in the early hours of Wednesday morning at approximately 4:30am, Hansard died following a single-vehicle motorcycle accident near Strawberry Beds in Lucan, west of Dublin. Investigators believe he lost control of his motorbike when it struck a soft roadside verge, causing the vehicle to flip. He suffered catastrophic injuries in the collision.
A four-hour gap exists between Hansard leaving the pub and the fatal crash, prompting Gardaí to investigate his movements during that period. Specialist Forensic Collision Investigators are leading the probe into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Hansard's death sent shockwaves through the music industry. The Dublin-born musician was the frontman for The Frames, featured in the Irish film The Commitments, and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly" in 2007, co-written with Marketa Irglova for the film Once. He was also one half of the rock duo The Swell Season and released solo albums, including "Didn't He Ramble," which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016.
A public wake will be held at the Baroque Chapel at the Irish Museum of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Monday between 11am and 4pm. His funeral will take place the following day at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin at 1:30pm, with a public address system available outside and online viewing. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Simon Community Ukrainian Action.