Summary

  1. Ceremony reflected Hansard's significant role in Irish music scenepublished at 16:18 BST

    A black and white portrait photo of Glen Hansard, a singer with short curly hair and a greying beard. He is wearing a dark shirt and a necklaceImage source, Getty Images

    We're bringing our live coverage of Glen Hansard's funeral to a close now.

    The Oscar-winning singer-songwriter was given a star-studded send off from St Patrick's Cathedral in his native city, six days after he lost his life in a motorcycle crash.

    Members of his family paid emotional tributes, including one of his younger brothers and his widow Maire Saaritsa.

    In a standout moment, holding back tears, she told the congregation their three-year-old son had inherited the singer's "bright spirit".

    Many of Hansard's famous friends performed in the ceremony including U2 frontman Bono, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, Hansard's former partner and bandmate Markéta Irglová, Hothouse Flowers frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí, and singer-songwriters Damien Dempsey and Lisa O'Neill.

    Fans lined the street outside the packed church for a service that reflected Hansard's significant contribution to the Irish folk and rock music scene over the past four decades.

  2. Private cremation after funeral servicepublished at 16:01 BST

    A close-up of the last page of Hansard;s funeral booklet.

    Hansard's family conveyed their "heartfelt thanks" to all the mourners "in Ireland and across the world" who have supported them in their grief and who attended today's celebration of the late singer-songwriter's life.

    The message was printed on the final page of his funeral service booklet.

    Following the very public church service, which was broadcast live on the internet, the booklet states they will hold a "private" cremation service.

  3. Farewell was a who's who of Irish talentpublished at 16:01 BST

    Bono in a crowd of musicians

    It was quite the send-off for Hansard.

    The last song had everyone up and some of the best known Irish musicians - Bono, The Edge, Lisa Hannigan, Declan O'Rourke, Damien Rice, Paddy Casey, Mundy, Imelda May to name but a few - were seen belting out the tune.

    Actresses Angeline Ball and Bronagh Gallagher, who starred in the hit film The Commitments with Hansard, were also spotted.

  4. Forever Young plays Hansard outpublished at 15:38 BST

    Coffin carried down the centre of the aisle.

    Hansard's coffin left the cathedral as everyone sang and played along to Bob Dylan's Forever Young.

    People were up on their feet, clapping and cheering.

    Closeup of the wicker coffin being carried
  5. U2 guitarist accompanies Bono in 'Beautiful Day' tributepublished at 15:33 BST

    U2 lead guitarist The Edge also attended the service and approached the microphone to join in the version of Beautiful Day as his bandmate Bono finished his recital.

    The Edge, a man with a black beanie cap and dark suit, sings into a microphone in church

    Other friends and musicians who participated in the funeral service included Lisa O'Neill who sang the Old Note, accompanied by musicians Colm Mac Iomaire, Joseph Doyle and Michael Buckley.

    Dublin singer songwriter Damien Dempsey performed Sing All Our Cares Away.

  6. Patti Smith records 'lullaby' voicemail for Hansard familypublished at 15:20 BST

    Bono holds phone to microphone in church.

    During his funeral speech, Bono reveals that the US singer Patti Smith left him a voicemail message after hearing the news of her friend Hansard's death.

    The U2 singer explained that the voicemail was a "lullaby" for Hansard's grieving family.

    "I think I'm going to try and play it," he said.

    Bono then put his mobile phone up to the microphone and played Smith's voicemail to the congregation, saying Smith could not attend the funeral in person but had been happy to share the recording.

  7. Bono recites and then sings U2's Beautiful Daypublished at 15:10 BST

    Bono singing

    Bono recited an extended poem called Beautiful Day - which included lyrics from the U2 song of the same name.

    As the recital ended he began to sing the song, urging the congregation to join in.

  8. 'A rare gift'published at 15:02 BST

    A priest in white robes and black scarf around his neck. He has short white hair and stands on a plinth reading from a bible.

    The Very Rev Dr William Morton speaks of the late singer's kindness and compassion.

    "He delighted in encouraging others, he responded quietly to human need," he says.

    He adds that Hansard had a rare gift of helping others to be seen and heard.

    "There was a gentleness about him that drew people towards him."

    He said despite his fame and success, Hansard never lost touch with where he came from.

    "Year after year he returned to Grafton Street on Christmas Eve busking to raise funds for those experiencing homelessness."

  9. Pearl Jam lead singer performspublished at 14:51 BST

    Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, and Markéta Irglová - who won an Oscar alongside Hansard - performs Hansard's The Song of Good Hope.

    Five people perform to a crowd in a church. Far left is a man with long brown hair with his eyes closed wearing a black suit and holding a black microphone. A man in the same clothing holds a light brown guitar. A woman with a green sweater stands far left.
    Image caption,

    Eddie Vedder and Markéta Irglová perform alongside members of The Frames

  10. Widow says Hansard's young son has inherited his 'bright spirit'published at 14:46 BST

    Hansard's widow thanks her late husband "for the life we shared, searching for truth and beauty side by side".

    Fighting back tears, she says they found that truth and beauty in their three-year-old son, Christy.

    "He cannot be here today, he is too young to witness or understand an event of such scale," she says..

    But she adds: "The bright spirit he inherited from his father is with us."

  11. Widow thanks Irish police for helping Hansard at crash scenepublished at 14:44 BST

    Maire Saaritsa, a woman with short, dark hair, speaks into a microphone during the funeral

    Glen Hansard's widow, the Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, began by thanking the individual gardaí (Irish police officers) who came to the singer's aid after the motorcycle crash, expressing her gratitude for "the humanity they showed me in my most desperate hour".

    "I can find no adjective for the kind of support the family has been shown this past week," she says.

    "The word is hidden somewhere in the look in people's eyes and the depth of their good deeds."

  12. 'He was a father figure' - Hansard's brotherpublished at 14:41 BST

    A man with short red hair stands behind a golden eagle. He wears grey suit jacket and navy suit.
    Image caption,

    Hansard's brother Richard describes him as a "mad uncle"

    His younger brother Richard is paying tribute.

    "He was a son, a brother and, I promise you, a mad uncle."

    Due to the 16-year-age gap, Richard says his older sibling was "more than just a brother, he was a father figure".

    "One of the earliest memories we have of our brother is the light of his scooter coming down the driveway. That light meant that the whole evening was about to change. Change for the good.

    "You knew the evening would be filled with songs and story."

    Richard says when Glen would leave he "couldn't sleep, because the night had now become filled with possibility".

    He continues: "We have inherited all the magical, colourful words, hugs, talks, madness, sadness, insightful manic beauty that a brother, a husband, a father could ever give.

    "Thank you, Glen. Thank you, brother."

  13. 'A true Dub'published at 14:28 BST

    Friends and family are paying tribute now, in both speeches and songs.

    Irish traditional musician Breandáin Ó Beaglaoich says: "He was so well known on the big stages of Ireland and all over the world".

    He calls him an "ordinary kind-hearted Ballymun man.. a true Dub."

    One man wearing a black shirt holds a violin with both hands. He has long brown hair. Another man with long brown hair and a grey beard plays a black piano.
    Image caption,

    Colm Mac Con Iomaire (left) and Liam Ó Maonlaí

    Applause follows his reading, as well as a musical performance from Ó Beaglaoich.

    Before Ó Beaglaoich, there was some music from Colm Mac Con Iomaire and Liam Ó Maonlaí.

    Frames band member, Mac Con Iomaire, was the one who presented the guitar at the beginning of the funeral service prior to his performance.

  14. Guitar brought up to altarpublished at 14:13 BST

    A priest in a white robe stands at a wooden alter. A priest in white robe stands to his right.

    A guitar was brought up to the altar at the start of the service.

    The minister leading the service is the Very Revd William Morton, dean of St Patrick's Cathedral.

    "We have come here today to remember before God our dear brother Glen and to give thanks for his life," he said.

    Representatives of the President of Ireland Catherine Connolly and the Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin are among the mourners.

    The Archbishop of Dublin Dr Micheal Jackson is also there.

  15. Hansard's coffin arrived in horse-drawn carriagepublished at 14:03 BST

    Four black horses pull a carriage containing the coffin of Glen Hansard as a crowd lines a street.Image source, PA Media

    A crowd of mourners lined the street outside St Patrick's Cathedral as the singer's coffin arrived in a horse-drawn carriage.

    His wicker coffin was draped with a simple floral arrangement which included holly leaves and berries.

  16. Fans feel 'compelled' to pay respectspublished at 13:56 BST

    Gabija Gataveckaite
    BBC News NI Dublin correspondent

    Two people look at the camera. On the left, a man in a navy t-shirt and grey cap, on the right a woman with long blonde hair and a grey shirt. They stand on a red-brick path.
    Image caption,

    Pat McGonigle and Catherine McConigle have travelled from Belfast

    Mourners tell me of their love for Hansard's music and how they saw him play.

    They are also listening to his music which is being played out on the sound system.

    Pat McGonigle and Catherine McConigle travelled from Belfast for the funeral and will go home today.

    Pat says they feel “compelled” to be here. He says he saw Hansard live “many times” and called him “fabulous authentic and sincere,” representing Ireland “more than any other Irish artist at the moment”.

    ‘We’ve been a fan of The Frames and Glen Hansard for a long, long time now,” they add.

  17. U2 lead singer Bono at funeralpublished at 13:48 BST

    Bono, a man with brown hair and glasses, arrived outside the church wearing a black suit. He was accompanied by women who were also wearing black.Image source, PA Media

    Bono arrived at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin shortly before the service.

    The lead singer of U2 knew Hansard for many years and supported him by taking part in his Christmas Eve charity busking event.

  18. Service beginspublished at 13:31 BST

    The funeral service is under way and you can watch by clicking the button at the top of the page.

  19. Fans gather outside cathedralpublished at 13:29 BST

    Gabija Gataveckaite
    BBC News NI Dublin correspondent

    Mourners began to gather at St Patrick's Cathedral from this morning and about 200 people were let into the church.

    They received wrist bands to confirm they would be allowed inside.

    Hundreds more have gathered beside the cathedral at St Patrick's Close, where two large screens and sound systems were set up to broadcast the funeral proceedings live.

    A woman in a green dress snats on a red-brick path
    Image caption,

    Teresa Crespo, who is visiting Dublin from Spain, is one of many mourners gathered outside the church

    Teresa Crespo, who is from Spain, is visiting her daughter in Dublin and said she enjoyed Hansard’s music.

    “I would like to pay a tribute to him and it’s a way to remember him,” she tells BBC News NI.

    “It’s very nice, all the people here together, listening to his music.”

  20. 11,000 attended singer's wakepublished at 13:23 BST

    About 11,000 people are thought to have attended Hansard's public wake in Dublin on Monday.

    Following the news of Hansard’s sudden death tributes from across the music world flooded in from the likes of Ed Sheeran, Bono and Bruce Springsteen, who said he was "heartbroken".

    U2 frontman Bono also paid tribute to Hansard.

    In a post on the band's Instagram, Bono said he was the "most musical and mischievous archangel of Ballymun" with "no airs, plenty of graces".

    A dozen fans walk in front of a grey stone building.Image source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Fans attending the public wake of Glen Hansard in Dublin yesterday