Irish Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard dies in crash

Academy Award-winning Irish musician Glen Hansard died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday, July 29, 2026. He was 56.

The fatal single-vehicle collision occurred shortly before 4:30 a.m. on Lower Road in the Strawberry Beds area of Lucan, west of Dublin. Emergency services responded to the scene, where Hansard, the sole rider, was treated but pronounced dead a short time later. The scene was preserved for examination by forensic collision investigators, and police have appealed for witnesses and any relevant dashcam footage.

Hansard’s management, ATC Management, confirmed his death in a statement, saying his family was deeply shocked and heartbroken and requesting privacy. The statement thanked emergency services and noted the matter is subject to an active police investigation.

A beloved figure in Irish music, Hansard first gained prominence as a teenage busker on Dublin’s Grafton Street. He formed the influential rock band The Frames in 1990, a staple of the Dublin music scene that released six studio albums and achieved significant success in Ireland and Europe. His early acting role as Outspan Foster in the 1991 film "The Commitments" brought him...