The service for the Ballymun musician felt more like a party where he was the only one missing from the celebrationsThousands of people turned out for Glen Hansard's funeral in Dublin on Tuesday. Video: Enda O'Dowd Tue Aug 04 2026 - 18:26 • 4 MIN READAfter the countless words of praise and the stream of tributes from poets, pop royalty and past and present presidents, Glen Hansard’s funeral in Dublin ultimately had at its heart a simple wicker coffin, a grieving widow and a son too young to attend.While celebrities were snapped by eager photographers as they walked, or were driven in SUVs with blacked-out windows, to the doors of St Patrick’s Cathedral ahead of the singer’s early afternoon funeral, it was the words and songs of those closest to the Dubliner that hit hardest among the hundreds packed into the church and the thousands standing in the adjacent park.His younger brother Richard told the congregation that Glen Hansard was an artist and a musician, an activist and “the glue” that held so many disparate groups together. But before Glen was any of these, he was a son, a brother and an uncle, “a mad uncle”.He recalled how, as a child, when he saw the light of his brother’s scooter coming down the driveway “it meant the whole evening was about to change and change for the good. Whatever happened you knew you were going to be completely heard and understood and filled with fresh excitement.” He said he was well aware his brother “made ripples, I know he made waves. He had an impact on so many – look at this room. But those ripples and waves began at kitchen tables in Ballymun and Killester and it is at those kitchen tables that for us he will remain,” he said.Glen Hansard's wife, Marie Saaritsa (centre) outside the cathedral on Tuesday. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Glen Hansard’s wife Marie Saaritsa hugged Richard fiercely for a long time after he spoke before walking slowly, with steely-eyed determination to the altar herself. She thanked the gardaí and emergency services for their kindness after her husband’s death in a motorbike crash last week and “and for the humanity they showed me in my most desperate hour”.And she thanked her late husband “for the life we shared searching for beauty and truth side by side” adding that the beauty had been found “in our son Christy”. She said Christy was too young to be at the funeral and too young to grasp the enormity of what had happened in recent days but said the “bright spirit he inherited from Glen is with us”. Hansard’s older brother Gary said the family was “absolutely blown away and humbled and thankful ... for the incredibly huge amount of love, honour, and dignity that the people of this country and around the world have shown my brother. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you”.Mourners watch a video stream of the service inside the cathedral on a big screen in the neighbouring St Patrick's Park. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw He then sang I Can See God with The Frames in a strong and powerful voice.Given the outpouring of grief since the musician’s shocking death just under a week ago and all the celebrity accolades that have come his way since then, his final journey through the streets of Dublin was never going to be a low-key affair. Well before midday, mourners were being told that St Patrick’s Cathedral was full while the park in the church’s shadow was also filling up fast.The atmosphere in the park, where at least 2,000 people gathered, was sombre but children were happy to play in the playground in sight of their parents. Crowds gather at St Patrick's Park for Glen Hansard funeral Video: Nick Bradshaw Some of those who had come to say goodbye stretched out in the warm summer sunshine and let the hymns, ballads and poetry coming from the altar wash over them. On the far side of the cathedral, the road was closed off with wrist-banded VIPs being shown through one door and close friends and family another. A small section of footpath was reserved for press photographers who called out the names of those they recognised. Bono; The Edge; Eddie Vedder; Dermot Kennedy; Imelda May; Hozier; Damien Dempsey; Damien Rice; Cait O’Riordan; Steve Coogan; Chris O’Dowd; John Carney and many of the cast of The Commitments were just some of the well-known faces who joined mourners to mark the passing of Glen Hansard.But while the famous faces attracted the loudest shouts from the press, it was evident that more than anything the funeral was about family, friends, community and music.Imelda May at the funeral. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw The Very Rev William Morton led proceedings and said that while Hansard’s songs “will continue to be loved for generations to come our thoughts rest not with the artist but the man himself, his generosity humility and his instinctive kindness”.He said Hansard would leave behind “friendships that enriched us, acts of generosity that will never be forgotten, encouragement that gave others confidence and memories that time itself will never erase”.Port na bPúcaí, which translates as the music of the ghosts, was performed by Colm MacCon Iomaire, Séamus Ong and Liam Ó Maonlaí while the Song of Good Hope was played by Eddie Vedder, Markéta Irglová, Thomas Bartlett and The Frames.Before his rendition of Sing All Our Cares Away, Damian Dempsey joked that “Glen used to slag me, he used to say ‘you’re only half a Northsider your da is from Pearse street’.” “Safe travels Glen. Say hello to Sinéad, Seamus, Shane and Christy and all those great soul singers.”The funeral cortege makes its way south on to Clanbrassil Street after the service. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Bono marvelled at the scale and depth of the friendships the Dubliner had forged and played a voice note from Patti Smith who had called him after she had heard the news and sang a song of praise for the musician. As the funeral drew to a close, the church erupted into a raucous singalong of Bob Dylan’s Forever Young followed by a sustained round of applause as his coffin was carried shoulder high through the church by family followed by the chief mourners. The rest of the congregation remained in their seats for the singsong. Eventually they emerged from the church belting out The Auld Triangle. The only person missing from the party was Glen Hansard. The coffin was then lifted into the horse-drawn carriage and carried off to a private family ceremony with the applause of Dubliners ringing around the city’s streets. IN THIS SECTION