Why is Glen Hansard trending on Google right now?

Seeing Glen Hansard's name everywhere in trending searches along with 'Once' and 'Falling Slowly.' What happened?

Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter and actor, died on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at age 56, following a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin. His management confirmed the death in a statement, and Irish police said a single-vehicle crash was reported in Lucan before 4:30am that morning. Hansard first gained wider recognition acting in the 1991 film "The Commitments," and later won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly," which he co-wrote with Markéta Irglová for the film "Once" — a role he also starred in. He fronted the band The Frames and the duo The Swell Season, and for years organized a well-known Christmas Eve charity busking event in Dublin to raise money for the homeless community. Tributes came in from figures including Bruce Springsteen and Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin. He's survived by his partner, poet Maire Saaritsa, and their young son.