Glen Hansard remembered by Hill of Uisneach team
The team at the Hill of Uisneach in Westmeath have paid tribute to Glen Hansard, “the voice of a generation”, whom they had invited to their An Tairseach Samhain event in November.
Sadly, Glen died in a motorbike accident in Dublin last week, and considering the person he was and how much he shared of himself and his music, many thousands are mourning and have paid tributes to him.
The Uisneach team posted: “Such devastating news about the tragic loss of Glen Hansard. All of us here at Uisneach send our thoughts to his family and friends. Only a few weeks ago, we had asked Glen if he would do us the honour of lighting our An Tairseach Samhain fire.
"Being the humble man that he was, he asked if he was worthy enough. I explained that we only ask people who have contributed heavily to Irish society, the arts and ancient customs of this island, and that there were few people I could think of who have done more for the above than him. He was so excited to be part of it.
“A giant of a man in the music industry, he also starred in two of the most celebrated Irish movies. Add in his charity work, awareness of social issues, and the way he carried Ireland with such pride wherever he went, and there was nobody more fitting.
“He sent us a beautiful video he recorded from the summit here at Uisneach as he went up the hill one evening to say hello to Manchán [Magan, whose ashes were scattered on the hill] and wanted to sing in memory of him. It is something we will now cherish all the more.
“The voice of a generation, who used that voice to champion others, his legacy will live on through his music, his kindness, and the countless lives he has touched. The measure of a life is not its duration, but its donation and Glen donated so much. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”
Graham from the Hill of Uisneach explained the background to the video mentioned above: “Access to the Hill of Uisneach is only available through guided tours, public and private tours, but one evening I was heading home and there was a car pulled up outside, and I thought I’d just wait for them to head off, but they didn’t.
“And it was Glen, his wife and little son, Christy. They just wanted to go up and say hello to Manchán. So they went up and they had a walk.
“After he come up that evening, he asked me if he could play at An Tairseach Samhain, play a few songs in memory of Manchán, and I asked if Colm Mac Con Iomaire, the fiddle player from The Frames, would come along – he said he’d ask all The Frames to do it, so we were meant to have The Frames playing at the gig (An Tairseach Samhain) and Glen lighting the fire.”
Sadly that will not now happen. RIP Glen.