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Thousands of people paid tribute to singer-songwriter Glen Hansard at a wake in Dublin after the musician died in a motorbike crash. His former partner and bandmate, Markéta Irglová, joined fellow trad musicians and fans as mourners filed into the Baroque Chapel at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Mass turnout at the Baroque Chapel
An estimated 11,000 people attended the wake on Monday at the Baroque Chapel, located in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Trad sessions filled the chapel as those who came to pay their respects gathered beneath the stained-glass window.
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Hansard’s wicker coffin rested on a table draped with greenery and apples. Two of his guitars lay at its foot, and many mourners paused to touch them or to leave flowers, cards and handwritten notes.
Who was there
Among those present were long-time collaborators and figures from the trad scene, including Paddy Clancy, Kíla’s Rónán Ó Snodaigh and The Frames’ Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Colm was seen speaking briefly and shaking hands with Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis.
Markéta Irglová, Hansard’s former partner and former bandmate, attended the service. Shane MacGowan’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, and Ronnie Drew’s son, Pheilim Drew, were also among the mourners.
Memories and reactions
People who queued to pay respects described Hansard as an extraordinary performer. DJ Sinead Ní Mhórdha, who was among the first in line, said he had “a raw talent that is joyous and all-consuming and life-changing.”
Songwriter Barra Donovan called Hansard a “hero” and recounted meeting him in Dublin last month. “So naturally, I had to go up and say hello, and he was very approachable and very kind. We had a lovely conversation,” he said, describing a roughly 30-minute chat in which Hansard listened closely and asked about his music.
Donovan added he was stunned by the news of Hansard’s death and felt compelled to come and pay tribute to what he called “an absolute giant in the music community.”
Singer-songwriter Zoe Hayter, who first met Hansard at age 10, described his influence in emotional terms. “I never, ever thought someone could change your life in the best way possible,” she said. “The whole world is crying, and there’ll never be anyone like that, and I’ll never stop loving him and I know no-one else will.”
Accident and funeral arrangements
The 56-year-old musician died in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a motorcycle crash near the Strawberry Beds in Lucan, Dublin. He had played a trad session at The Wren’s Nest only hours before the accident.
His funeral is scheduled for 1:30pm on Tuesday at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. The service is open to the public, though organisers warn that access inside the cathedral will be extremely limited because of the expected numbers.
Hansard is survived by his three-year-old son, Christy, and his wife, the Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa.
