'Glen was a legend to many of us': Musicians gather for memorial busk tribute to Glen Hansard
Musicians pose for a photo after playing music in memory of Glen Hansard in Dublin on Thursday. Picture: Damien Eagers/PA
A memorial busk has taken place in Dublin city centre to pay tribute to Glen Hansard.
Musicians assembled at the statue of folk singer Luke Kelly near Grafton Street to sing songs made famous by Hansard, including a rousing rendition of .
The event took place close to the Gaiety Theatre — where Hansard would hold his traditional Christmas Eve charity busk.
Hundreds of people gathered to watch the tribute event, which was staged a day after the Oscar-winning singer-songwriter was killed in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin.
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The busk in Hansard’s honour had to finish earlier than billed due to the significant numbers of people arriving to watch.
Meanwhile, members of the public queued up to sign a book of condolence at the Mansion House in Dublin on Thursday, while a book of condolence also opened at the City Library on Grand Parade in Cork.
Visitors appeared tearful after leaving their condolences at the Mansion House, calling Hansard a “musician’s musician” who had a gift of bringing people together.
Jamie Harrington, from the same Ballymun suburb where Hansard grew up, organised the memorial busk on Thursday evening.
He said one of the musicians participating was playing a guitar that Hansard had given him because he did not have one of his own.
“I organised this today because I wanted to give people who are also fans of Glen a chance to gather and be together with other people who are also sad,” said Mr Harrington.
“It’s a really, really sad time. Glen was a legend to many of us. He was a friend to me, and I was very lucky to have Glen as a friend and as someone I could rely on and depend on when things needed to be done.
“From talking to people here today, Glen has touched so many people’s lives by never even meeting them. His music resonates with people all over the world.
“But he’s just a kid from Ballymun at the end of the day — Ballymun to the world.”
'He was one of our own'
People appeared tearful after signing the book of condolence at the Mansion House, with some too upset to be interviewed and others who said “there are no words” to sum up their feelings.
“He was one of our own,” said Gary Carroll, a five-string banjo player from Malahide who is living in Maynooth.
Mr Carroll was on his way to go for a swim in Bray but said he had to stop at the Mansion House to pay his respects.
He said: “He never forgot where he came from, he was with the crowd, the crowd followed him, he could mix with the crowd, he loved to go and play in sessions, and he’d bring the best out in people.
“If he seen someone struggling with a song, he’d help them out with it.
“That’s what music is all about, it’s about spreading it around.
“He learned his trade, like most musicians in Dublin, by going out in the street. It’s amazing, if you play in the street, the amount of confidence it actually gives you, because if you can play in the street you can play anywhere.
“And Glen was a firm believer in that and he pushed that message. He was all about helping the struggling musician coming up. He will definitely be missed.
“He was unique, special, and maybe someday, please God, they’ll name a street after him. He’ll be missed. It’s a sad day.”
Senator Frances Black, a former musician who met Hansard years ago, said he brought people together through his music.
She said: “He encouraged young people to really get into the industry. He knew how difficult it was to get into the industry, and he just encouraged young people to keep performing and keep playing and keep writing songs, and I think that’s what made him special.”
Helen Prendergast from Galway said she was in “shock” when she was told the news in a charity shop.
“It took a while to sink in. He was a good guy, he was good to the homeless, he was a decent soul,” she said.
“I’m just very sad to see him go.”
Gerry Hannigan from Raheny said Hansard was “such an all-round man” and his death was “tragic”.
He said he admired the way Hansard started busking on the streets of Dublin, working his way up to a support act for Bob Dylan.
Bobby Kans and his daughter Gigi, from Maryland in the US, had just landed in Ireland for a holiday when they heard the news of Hansard’s death.
“We just saw him two months ago in (Washington) DC and I saw him a few weeks ago in (Philadelphia), and actually me and my best friend were going to take a journey here in October to see him and we had the trip all planned.”
He added: “His music will go on for us, I play him all the time. It’s nice the mayor had this today.
“His music just comes right into your heart. That’s why he’s a musician’s musician.”
Gigi Kans said they were glad to be in Dublin when he died.
She said: “His artistry brought so much life and love to everyone, not just to the streets of Dublin but all around the world, and it’s about how to bring people closer together.
“It captured the true meaning of music — you can’t just do it for the money or for the gigs, he did it because he loved it and it showed in his music.”
