Irish musician Glen Hansard dies at 56: The Czech story behind “Falling Slowly”

Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter whose collaboration with Czech musician Markéta Irglová created one of the country’s most internationally recognized cultural moments of the 21st century, has died following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash near Dublin on Wednesday morning. He was 56.

Hansard, who achieved global acclaim alongside Irglová, developed a particularly strong connection with Czech audiences through decades of musical collaborations, performances and friendships within the country’s cultural scene.

Hansard first came to wider attention as a teenager through his role as guitarist Outspan Foster in the 1991 film The Commitments and later as the frontman of Dublin rock band The Frames.

However, it was his collaboration with Czech vocalist and pianist Markéta Irglová that launched him to international stardom.

The duo formed the folk group The Swell Season and starred in the 2007 independent film Once. The film’s centerpiece track, "Falling Slowly," co-written by Hansard and Irglová, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008.

But Czech director Jan Hřebejk’s 2006 film Kráska v nesnázích (Beauty in Trouble) helped introduce the musical partnership between Hansard and Irglová, featuring early versions of songs, including “Falling Slowly,” that would later become famous through Once.

Their victory became a landmark moment for Czech culture internationally, with Irglová becoming the first Czech person to win an Academy Award for music.

Hansard’s bond with Czech audiences remained strong until the end of his life.

In May 2025, he reunited with Markéta Irglová for a The Swell Season concert at Prague’s Forum Karlín, nearly two decades after their Oscar-winning song “Falling Slowly” brought their collaboration global fame.

He returned to Prague one final time in May 2026, performing at the Velký sál Lucerna just weeks before his death.

Irish police confirmed emergency services responded to the collision on Dublin’s Lower Road at around 4:30 a.m. Hansard received medical treatment at the scene but was pronounced dead shortly after.

In recent years, Hansard lived between Ireland and Finland with Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa and their young son. 

He remained active in music and social causes until his death, including campaigns focused on homelessness in Ireland, while continuing to tour internationally.