Brian Hiatt
Contact Brian Hiatt on X View all posts by Brian Hiatt August 4, 2026
Bono and Eddie Vedder were among the performers at the late Glen Hansard's funeral. Depoilly X/Alpaca/Andia/Universal Images Group/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/BC At Glen Hansard‘s funeral in Dublin, Ireland Tuesday (Aug. 4), U2‘s Bono played a musical voicemail from Patti Smith before reciting the lyrics of “Beautiful Day,” Eddie Vedder performed Hansard’s “The Song of Good Hope,” and both singers joined a group performance of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.” Also among the mourners were Hozier, Imelda May, the Edge, the E Street Band’s Jake Clemons, and many other musicians. Hansard died July 29 at the age of 56 after a motorcycle crash.
Bono’s tribute celebrated Hansard’s gift for friendship. “How do you do that?” he asked. “People on the green outside, best friends. People tuning in, best friends. Even people who haven’t met him, best friends. Everyone who met him, they just remember the day they met him.”
He played a message Smith left him the day Hansard died, with a song she sang for his family. “It’s a lullaby for Glen’s family and friends,” Bono said. “She was happy to share it.” He followed with a mostly spoken-word piece, with help from the Edge, that rewrote some of the lyrics of “Beautiful Day” to honor Hansard: “You write your life until the story becomes true.”
Vedder performed Hansard’s “The Song of Good Hope,” harmonizing with Markéta Irglová, who shared the 2008 best original song Oscar with Hansard for “Falling Slowly” from Once. “It’s not as bad as it seems,” Vedder sang, his voice shaking with emotion.
