Glen Hansard funeral: Bono leads tributes in Dublin

Song of Good Hope by Glen Hansard, performed at his funeral today by Eddie Vedder, Markéta Irglová, members of The Frames and others. Beautiful stuff🖤 pic.twitter.com/xKElDIyU7a

— Ian Willoughby (@Ian_Willoughby) August 4, 2026

With Hansard as lead singer, guitarist and composer, The Frames became one of the most popular bands on Ireland’s music scene and he won international acclaim during three decades working in film, music and cinema.

At the funeral in Dublin’s St Patrick’s Cathedral, aired live on Irish television, Bono sang lyrics from U2 track Beautiful Day and encouraged mourners to join in.

He also played a voice mail message from US punk rock veteran Patti Smith where she sang a lullaby for Hansard.

Those unable to fit inside the cathedral sat on the grass outside to watch the service on large screens while more than 40,000 watched a live-stream.

Glen Hansard’s coffin being carried out of the cathedral to a mass singalong of Forever Young at the end of his beautiful funeral today. Impossible to watch this with a dry eye. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/ZDYCFlvWL6

— Ian Willoughby (@Ian_Willoughby) August 4, 2026

“I’m here to pay my respects to Glen, who was a cultural icon for a lot of us,” one young mourner, Conor Behan, told AFP outside the cathedral.

“He came from a very poor background himself, but he never forgot that, and he helped a lot of young musicians realise their dreams,” said another mourner, Siobhan O’Brien.

In 2007, Hansard won an Oscar with Czech musician Marketa Irglova for their co-written song Falling Slowly from Irish romantic film Once, directed by John Carney.

Set in Dublin, Hansard plays a busker who meets fellow musician Irglova, bonding over their shared love of music.

At the funeral, Irglova performed Hansard’s The Song of Good Hope with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and The Frames.

– AFP