Thousands of Dubliners gather to watch annual Christmas Eve charity busk

Glen Hansard takes part in the annual Christmas Eve busk on Grafton Street, Dublin, in aid of homeless charity, the Simon Community (Evan Treacy/PA)

More than a thousand Dubliners crammed into a street in one of the capital’s busiest shopping districts to catch a glimpse of famous musicians during a fundraiser for a local homelessness charity.

Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Glen Hansard led the festivities by singing A Rainy Night in Soho in tribute to recently deceased Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan.