‘It just feels like losing a friend’: Hansard fans take to the street to sing and remember

Dozens of people gathered on Dublin's South King Street to sing and cry in memory of musician Glen Hansard, nearly six months before the annual Christmas busking session for the homeless typically brings them together. The spontaneous gathering saw fans united in their grief and remembrance of the artist.

“

We all have different experiences of Glen and Glen’s music and that’s why there’s so many here. He touched so many people’s lives in so many different ways and we’re here to celebrate Glen, to listen to his music and to be together.

"We all have different experiences of Glen and Glen’s music and that’s why there’s so many here," said organizer Jamie Harrington. "He touched so many people’s lives in so many different ways and we’re here to celebrate Glen, to listen to his music and to be together." Harrington recalled meeting Hansard 15 years ago when the musician visited a youth center for a music video shoot. "He saw hungry kids and just went ‘you’re part of my tribe now’,” Harrington said, highlighting Hansard's generosity.

“

He saw hungry kids and just went ‘you’re part of my tribe now’

Joanne Flood, who learned more about Hansard's extensive work through media reports, described the gathering as a "special thing for a busker from Dublin." Yvonne Butler, who first saw Hansard's band The Frames perform in 1999, shared how hearing of his death in a motorbike crash that morning had deeply affected her. "It just feels like losing a friend and it’s important to be able to celebrate him here with all these people," she said.

“

It’s very emotional. I didn’t even know a lot of his stuff. I’ve been reading about him in the papers and didn’t realise he had done so much. It’s a special thing for a busker from Dublin, isn’t it?

Activist and artist Dean Scurry, who had stood with Hansard at a homelessness protest, praised the musician's ability to connect people from all walks of life. "He connected people through music and through love. That’s activism," Scurry stated. He commended the presence of many young people with guitars, singing songs for their friend, emphasizing that the tribute was driven by genuine connection rather than celebrity involvement.

“

I can’t count how many times I’ve seen him perform. It just feels like losing a friend and it’s important to be able to celebrate him here with all these people.