Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter and Oscar winner, died suddenly at age 56 after a motorcycle accident in Dublin.
Foreign news agencies reported that Glen Hansard, the Irish artist and Oscar winner for Best Original Song, died suddenly at age 56 due to a motorcycle accident on Lower Road in Lucan, west Dublin, at about 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 29 July 2026 GMT+7.
Details surrounding Hansard's death remain unclear. Police stated it was a single-vehicle collision and have urged witnesses to come forward with information.
Hansard began his career as a street musician before playing the role of Outspan Foster in the 1991 film The Commitments. He was lead singer of rock band The Frames, part of the duo The Swell Season, and released solo albums, including one nominated for the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
He won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original Song with "Falling Slowly" from the indie film Once, which he co-starred in and co-wrote with Markéta Irglová.
Since 2010, Hansard initiated Christmas Eve street busking events in Dublin to raise funds for the homeless via the Dublin Simon Community, attracting famous artists such as Bono and Sinéad O'Connor.
The Dublin Simon Community expressed being "heartbroken" by Hansard's passing, praising him as both a musical genius and a compassionate advocate for the homeless.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly both expressed condolences, honoring Hansard as an important inspiration who helped shape Ireland's cultural landscape.
Fellow actors and artists, including those from The Commitments, posted tributes mourning Hansard’s untimely death. Condolence books were opened online and at Mansion House, the Irish Prime Minister’s residence in Dublin.
Hansard recently had a three-year-old son and told an interviewer in 2023 that fatherhood had transformed his world in the best possible way.
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Source:bbc