Glen Hansard Family Sets Aug. 4 Dublin Funeral After 56-Year-Old Singer's Death

Q: What unexpected musical collaborations will unfold as legendary artists gather to honor Glen Hansard's legacy at his upcoming Dublin funeral?

No specific collaborations have been announced, so any “unexpected” pairings remain speculative. The only confirmed detail from Glen Hansard’s family is that the funeral music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Aug. 4 will be performed by his friends and relatives. That said, the setting and the guest list in mourning make several meaningful possibilities stand out. Markéta Irglová, Hansard’s longtime collaborator in The Swell Season and co-writer of the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly,” would be the most natural musical presence if she attends and performs. Members of The Frames are also likely candidates, given Hansard’s central role in the band and the public tributes already issued by his bandmates and collaborators. High-profile artists including Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Hozier, Billie Eilish and Lin-Manuel Miranda have paid tribute publicly, but there is no confirmation that any of them will perform at the funeral. If any do appear musically, it would likely be in an informal, reverent capacity rather than as a staged showcase, in keeping with the family’s request for privacy and the cathedral setting. What is more certain is the tone of the service: it is expected to reflect Hansard’s communal, busking-rooted musical spirit. Given his history of bringing musicians together for charitable causes in Dublin, any collaboration that does unfold will probably center on shared songs, close friends, and music tied to his legacy rather than surprise celebrity moments.

Q: With his tragic passing, who will step up to lead the iconic Christmas Eve busking tradition that defined his charitable legacy?

No successor has been announced. What is clear from the reporting is that Hansard was the driving force behind the Christmas Eve busk outside the Gaiety Theatre and around Grafton Street, an event he began in 2010 and personally led for years in aid of Dublin Simon Community. It became a major part of his charitable legacy, raising more than €2 million for homelessness services and drawing artists such as Bono, Imelda May, Damien Dempsey and others. In the immediate aftermath of his death, the focus has been on public mourning, his wake and funeral, and tributes to his activism. Dublin Simon Community has praised him as a “giant in the fight against homelessness,” but neither the family nor the charity has named anyone to take over the annual busk. If the tradition continues, the most likely outcome is a collective effort by the circle of Irish musicians and organizers who regularly joined Hansard, together with Dublin Simon Community, rather than a single like-for-like replacement. Hansard’s role was unusually personal: he not only fronted the music but also gave the event its social and moral purpose. So, at this point, the honest answer is that no one has officially stepped up yet, and any future leadership of the Christmas Eve busk remains undecided.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 1

Aug. 4 funeral services for Glen Hansard will be held at Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral at 1:30 p.m., with the public allowed to attend but indoor access expected to be extremely limited.
Aug. 3 public wake arrangements were also announced, with Hansard to lie in repose from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Baroque Chapel at IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
RTE News and RIP.IE will broadcast the funeral live, while music will be provided by Hansard's friends and family.
Hansard's family asked mourners to donate instead to Dublin Simon Community or Ukrainian Action, after the Oscar-winning singer-songwriter died July 29 in a motorcycle crash near his Dublin home at 56.