More Than 11,000 Attend Glen Hansard Wake in Dublin Ahead of Tuesday Funeral

Q: What permanent tribute might Dublin create to honor the legendary busker who conquered Hollywood before his tragic motorcycle crash?

The most likely permanent tribute would be a public monument or named performance spot on or near Grafton Street, where Glen Hansard began busking and where many Dubliners most strongly locate his legacy. That idea fits how the city is already mourning him. Fans have returned to Grafton Street, a memorial busk was held near the Luke Kelly statue by the Gaiety Theatre, and tributes have focused repeatedly on Hansard as the busker who rose from Dublin’s streets to Oscar-winning fame with Once and “Falling Slowly.” In practical terms, Dublin could plausibly create a bronze statue, commemorative plaque, or officially designated “Glen Hansard Corner” at a site linked to his street performances or the film Once. There is precedent for that kind of civic tribute in Dublin. The city already uses statues and music landmarks to honor major cultural figures, including Luke Kelly. Because Hansard’s identity was so bound up with busking, a static monument alone may not be the only option: the city could also pair it with an annual sanctioned memorial busk or dedicate a permanent street-performance space in his name. Any formal decision would rest with Dublin City Council and likely follow public and artistic consultation. But based on where mourners have gathered, the symbolism of Grafton Street, and Hansard’s singular place in Dublin music culture, a memorial on the city’s busking circuit looks like the clearest and most fitting lasting tribute.

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 3

More than 11,000 mourners filed through Dublin's Irish Museum of Modern Art on Monday for Glen Hansard's public wake, far surpassing the hundreds seen queuing earlier in the day.
Five hours of tributes unfolded in the Baroque Chapel, where Hansard's wicker coffin sat beside two guitars as fans left flowers, cards and notes and some touched the coffin while passing.
Markéta Irglová joined fans paying respects, while mourners described Hansard as a trailblazer for Irish singer-songwriters and "a massive loss to Ireland."
Tuesday's funeral is set for 13:30 local time at St Patrick's Cathedral in central Dublin after Hansard's sudden death on July 29 at 56 in a motorcycle crash.
Hansard's death has drawn tributes from artists including Ed Sheeran and Bruce Springsteen, capping a career that spanned more than three decades and included a 2008 Oscar for Once.