‘Dark day over Dublin’: Members of the public sign book of condolences for Glen Hansard

From 10am on Thursday, people waited patiently to sign the book of condolences and pay their respects to Irish musician, actor and activist Glen Hansard. Amid the sadness over his death, there was plenty of laughter from those speaking about Hansard’s lively character. Many had a personal story of the Ballymun native to share. Senator and musician Frances Black was among them. “I think there’s huge sadness in the country today,” she said, describing The Frames frontman as “a beautiful soul” and a “magnet for love”. Black, who has worked with Hansard, said: “When you met Glen, he would make you feel warm. He had a lovely energy off him, there was no airs and graces about him.READ MORE“He wasn’t just somebody who went out and gigged in big, huge venues. He really worked with people on the ground as well, and he really cared about homelessness and many other issues.” Catherine O’Brien (5) with her mother Charlotte Deane from Mount St signing the book of condolences in memory of Glen Hansard. Photograph: Collins Justin Cannon is a volunteer with Dublin Simon Community who has known Hansard for about 20 years. He worked with the musician during the Apollo House occupation in protest of homelessness. “Glen has done a lot for the people of Ireland. He has done a lot for the homeless,” Cannon said. When he heard of Hansard’s death, he was in disbelief: “It’s put a dark day over Dublin.” [ Glen Hansard: a singular, generous artistOpens in new window ]Dubliner Keith Maguire met The Frames frontman busking on “an ordinary night on Grafton Street”. Maguire got a photo with Hansard, describing him as “very down to Earth, a normal person”.“He said he wanted to show some younger family members what the Dublin busking scene was like,” Maguire said.The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daryl Barron, said: “You can see the people coming through the doors here this morning, the warmth towards him.” Visitors to Dublin's Mansion House sign a book of condolence for Glen Hansard. Photograph: Alan Betson “We’ve lost a good Dubliner today ... a great storyteller for this city” who “did so much for the city”, Barron said.“I always thought of him every Christmastime at Bewley’s ... a very charitable individual.” Peter Comerford knew Hansard since he was 18. He worked in The Coffee Inn on South Anne Street where he said all the musicians and artists went. He described The Commitments star as an “inspiration” who has “left a lot behind him”. “His music will live on ... when he meets up with [the late singer songwriter] Mic Christopher up there, in the cosmos, and it’s my time, I hope they both invite me to the great gig in the sky.” People queue to sign the book of condolences on Thursday. Photograph: Alan Betson Martin and Astrid Salmon had travelled from Celbridge, Co Kildare, to pay tribute to Hansard. Martin met the musician several times, and said he was “a terrible nice fella ... very kind-hearted”. During Storm Emma in 2018, the couple said Hansard drove through the snow in the village “delivering firewood to elderly people”. Speaking of the impact of the activist and musician, Martin said: “He was an icon, God he’s up there with Bono.” “He just wanted to help other people,” said Astrid. Maria Buckley, from Dublin 14, described Hansard as a beloved friend of her family. Buckley said her sister and her husband “go to every Frames concert ... they brought the children wearing special earmuffs”. Speaking of Hansard and his impact, she said he “is beyond praise ... a literal gem”. Syd Keane was a regular in Dublin’s famous music venue Whelan’s, where he spent a lot of time with Hansard during the 1990s. He remembered one night on the way home from a gig when “this kid grabbed him [Hansard] and asked him about 45 questions about The Commitments”. Keane laughed when he said that, from Trinity College to the top of Harcourt Street, the frontman answered all his questions before he said: “Can you let me arm go? ... I can’t tell you any more about The Commitments.”