The funeral has taken place of Oscar Winner and Frames singer Glen Hansard today in Dublin.
Although a baptised Catholic, Glen had a mixed relationship with religion throughout his life, although a social media post from last week showed him expressing interest in Saints Carlo Acutis and Anthony.
His funeral took place at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, the former Catholic church which has been a Protestant church now for centuries under the Church of Ireland.
We can make a guess that the venue was chosen in part because of its location, its size and also because of the type of service that it ended up being, which was a Christian service but which obviously gave the family freedom to include many eulogies and songs from famous singers, such as Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.
In 2023, there was a mixed reaction to Shane MacGowan’s funeral when Glen Hansard played Fairytale of New York, with people dancing at the altar. The contrast between that and the sudden demise of Hansard could be seen in an ensemble rendition of 'Forever Young’ by Bob Dylan, with singers putting their hands on their heads and wiping tears from their eyes with their sleeves and a teary Eddie Vedder greeting leaving as soon as the song finished.
May he rest in peace.
