Oscar-Winning Irish Musician Glen Hansard Dead At 56

Oscar-winning Irish musician and actor Glen Hansard is dead at the age of 56 after a motorcycle accident in Dublin. Hansard was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Lucan, on the outskirts of the Irish capital, in the early hours of Wednesday. Emergency services arrived swiftly, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards.

"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," ATC Management said in a statement that thanked emergency services.

He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008 for Falling Slowly, from the critically acclaimed film Once, in which he also starred alongside Czech singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová. He formed The Frames in 1990. The Frames released seven albums between 1991 and 2006 but it was 2007’s Once which propelled Hansard's international visibility.

Tributes began pouring in quickly after news of his untimely passing broke.

Tributes To Glen Hansard Pour In

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Hansard who was “a talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years”. Former Ireland president Michael D Higgins shared his condolences, describing Hansard as “a troubadour whose gift for storytelling brought so much joy to audiences across the world". He elaborated, "Throughout his career, Glen made a particularly noteworthy effort to keep alive the work of all those who had gone before him, keeping alive the songs of previous generations of Irish musicians and singers who had influenced him, as well as the songs of departed friends such as Mic Christopher and Fergus O’Farrell."

Minister for Arts and Culture Patrick O’Donovan said, "“From his early days busking on the streets of Dublin, through The Commitments, to founding rock outfit The Frames, Hansard consistently poured passion and vulnerability into every note. His impact will last generations in Irish music, even as his life has ended far too soon.”