The Frames' Glen Hansard dies aged 55 after devastating motorbike crash
Oscar-winning Irish musician Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday. He was 56 years old.
Hansard was the frontman for the acclaimed Irish band The Frames and featured in the iconic Irish film The Commitments. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly" in 2007, which he co-wrote with Marketa Irglova for the film "Once". His agents ATC Management issued a statement saying "With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard who passed away in the early hours of this morning following a road traffic accident in Dublin".
The statement continued "Glen's family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time. The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene."
The crash occurred on Lower Road in Lucan, on the outskirts of Dublin, before 4:30am. Irish police confirmed a man in his 50s died in a single-vehicle motorcycle collision. He was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to the incident.
Beyond his musical achievements, Hansard was also one half of 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. For many years, he led the Christmas Eve charity busking event outside The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin city centre, where famous Irish musicians performed to raise funds for the Dublin Simon Community.
Hansard was an active campaigner, participating in protests against Ireland's housing crisis, marking three years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and joining anti-austerity water charge protests in 2014. At The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan's funeral in 2023, Hansard performed "Fairytale Of New York" with Irish singer Lisa O Neill, which prompted dancing in the aisles of the Co Tipperary church.