DUBLIN — Hundreds gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on August 5 to mourn Glen Hansard, the Oscar-winning Irish musician who died in a motorcycle accident last week at age 56. The funeral drew prominent figures from the Irish and international music scenes, including Bono, Hozier, Declan O’Rourke, Imelda May, as well as actors Steve Coogan and Chris O’Dowd. Friends, family, and fans also attended, with some watching the service on large screens outside the cathedral after queuing for hours.

The funeral service featured musical tributes, notably a performance by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, who joined Hansard’s longtime collaborator Markéta Irglová to sing “The Song of Good Hope.” Bono, lead singer of U2, recalled how everyone who met Hansard fondly remembered the encounter. He also shared a message from singer and poet Patti Smith, who offered a lullaby in memory of Hansard’s circle, before reciting lyrics from U2’s “Beautiful Day.”

Hansard died on July 29 in a single-vehicle crash on the outskirts of Dublin, just hours after playing in a traditional music session at a local pub. His widow, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, expressed gratitude to the police officers who responded after the accident and read a personal poem she had written for him. She noted their 3-year-old son was too young to attend the funeral but said the child inherited his father’s bright spirit and remains close to the family.

Hansard was widely recognized as the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames and gained additional fame for his role in the 1991 film “The Commitments.” His prominence grew after winning the Academy Award in 2008 for the song “Falling Slowly,” co-written and performed with Irglová for their film “Once.” The movie was later adapted into a stage production that won eight Tony Awards in 2012. Hansard and Irglová also collaborated as the duo The Swell Season and released several solo albums, with his 2016 release “Didn’t He Ramble” earning a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album.

Hansard was known for his community spirit, including leading an annual Christmas Eve busking session outside Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre, where famed Irish musicians performed to support a homelessness charity.

Tributes from fellow artists continued after his passing. Bruce Springsteen described Hansard as “a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man,” expressing his heartbreak at the loss on social media.