Glen Hansard, the Dublin-born musician and actor who won an Academy Award for the ballad 'Falling Slowly', died early this morning following a motorcycle crash in Lucan, a suburb west of Dublin. He was 56.
The crash, which occurred in the early hours, was a single-vehicle collision, according to Gardaí. Emergency services attended the scene, but Hansard was pronounced dead shortly after.
Hansard's management, ATC Management, confirmed the news in a statement: "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. 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."
From Dublin busker to Oscar winner
Born in Ballymun, a working-class neighbourhood in north Dublin, on 21 April 1970, Hansard began his career as a busker on the city's streets. He later became the frontman of the rock band The Frames, which released several albums, including the critically acclaimed Burn The Maps in 2004. His five solo albums, the most recent being All That Was East Is West of Me Now (2023), earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album for Didn't He Ramble in 2016.
Hansard's acting career took off with his role as Outspan Foster in the 1991 BAFTA-winning film The Commitments, directed by Alan Parker. But his most celebrated screen appearance came in the 2007 Irish romantic music drama Once, which he co-starred in with Czech musician Markéta Irglová. The film's song 'Falling Slowly', co-written by Hansard and Irglová, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Oscars in 2008. The pair also performed together in the band The Swell Season.
Beyond his music and film work, Hansard was known for his activism, particularly his efforts to help homeless people in Dublin. He frequently performed at charity events and spoke out about housing inequality in Ireland.
Hansard is survived by his partner, poet Maire Saaritsa, and their three-year-old son, Christy. Tributes have poured in from fans and fellow musicians across Europe and beyond, remembering his raw vocal style, his lyrical depth, and his generosity.
His death marks the loss of a distinctive voice in Irish music and film, one that resonated far beyond the island. As news spread, many recalled his performance at the 80th Academy Awards, where he accepted the Oscar with Irglová, a moment that remains one of the most memorable in the ceremony's recent history.
Hansard's legacy is also tied to the broader Irish cultural wave that produced figures like Brenda Fricker, the first Irish woman to win an Oscar, who died earlier this year. Together, they represent a generation of Irish artists who brought the country's stories to global audiences.
