This terribly shocking news just in:
I saw on the news this morning a man was killed in a motorcycle accident in Dublin but he is only now being named. Will need some time to sink in, a terrible loss.
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I was at a (wonderful) lunchtime concert in Ennis when the news broke. Driving back after, listening to the radio, the responses of shock and sadness reverberating around the country reminded me of the outpourings after the news of the death of that other Irish cultural icon, Sinead O’Connor.
Singer, songwriter, busker, sometime actor (the Commitments, Once), frontman of the Frames, solo artist ,Oscar winner and advocate for social justice, especially for the homeless. As someone on the radio said, it’s a loss felt, in some shape or form, by everyone in Ireland.
Truly sad…I loved his music and enjoyed his two movies. Far too young…
It really is a shock. One of my favorite musicians but also a great storyteller and powerful activist. He had so much more to give.
This from an article by Matthew Hennessey articulates my feelings well:
"The intimacy we develop with the artists whose work we enjoy is peculiar and unlike other intimacies. When we fall in love with a song, the affair is private. The intensity of the relationship is felt only by us, known only to us. It’s a secret communion. There isn’t a person alive who can’t think of at least one song that makes him feel less alone in the world.
Hansard’s music did something like that for me. His songs came from a pure place. He was a sensitive soul—an actor-musician as well as a raconteur and carouser, a powerful and committed live performer."
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A nice summing up of a musical life from RTE:
RTE news: Glen Hansard: A powerhouse of self-belief and passion
Around twenty years ago I stumbled upon The Frames playing at SummerStage in NYC’s Central Park. It was a dreary day, raining on and off, and there was thunder and lightning in the distance when they began performing their song “Fake.” But around halfway through the song, during the second chorus, the sky suddenly and dramatically brightened to reveal a rainbow arcing across the sky.
I still remember the rapturous smile on Glen Hansard’s face as he looked up at the sky through the rain, his hair blowing wild in the wind. He seemed so intensely energized by the experience and he channeled it all into the rest of the song. I think it still rates as the greatest few minutes of live music I’ve experienced. And from a band I had never heard of! So I wasn’t a bit surprised to see his subsequent success with Once.
RIP, Glen, and thanks for such a wonderful moment.
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This is a loss that grows more difficult by the day. It intrudes on the quiet moments. To be honest, it’s a bit of a shock for me; I had no idea how much I loved this man. I don’t know if our generation has seen so beautiful a human being.
Rest in the blessings you have left behind, Glen.
The public wake yesterday attracted over 11000 people who came to pay their respects. Many more had to be turned away when the Chapel closed. It is some token of the regard he was held in.
As I write the funeral in Dublin’s St.Patrick’s cathedral is about to get underway. Crowds gathering outside. The RTE news channel will cover the funeral service luve.
It is now archived:
It was very moving and the music was beautiful : Cór Cuil Aodha sang, Liam O Maonlai , Colm Mac Con Iomare et al played a beautiful Port na bPucai, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoigh spoke very movingly and sang Slán le Maigh with Cormac on the concertina , Lisa O’Neil sang Old Note, Eddie Vedder, Marketa Irglova, Bono and the Edge and a lot of others contributed . A great send off, as they say.
