Glen Hansard’s last show before leaving pub at closing time as pal says trad gig ‘his thing’ & family in tearful tribute

MUSIC icon Glen Hansard was ­performing for happy punters in the final hours before he lost his life in a motorbike accident.

The musician was singing and playing guitar in front of a small crowd at the Wren’s Nest pub in Dublin’s Strawberry Beds.

Owners of the bar confirmed the news yesterday after a video emerged of The Frames star performing his last song.

In it, Glen, ­surrounded by pals, clutches his guitar to his chest and performs a touching song about a couple breaking up.

Yesterday, the pub issued a statement to RTE News, confirming Glen left the premises after closing time and departed in an easterly direction.

The Wren’s Nest said it wanted to clarify that the pub closed at the normal licensed trading hours and there was no after-hours lock-in.

An old pal of Glen’s, Ray ‘Sparky’ Corcoran, said he believed that his friend had moved on somewhere else before starting his final trip home.

The accident took place on the Lower Road, between Tinkers Hill and Rugged Lane.

Ray told The Irish Sun: “That road Glen was on is notoriously damp because it’s close to the river.

“There’s also a ramp on that road, I know because I go over it in the minibus. You take your life in your hands going over it and sometimes I see motorbikes skipping around the side of it. Glen was a fabulous driver.”

There are 26 speed bumps along the main 2.5km stretch of Lower Road through the Strawberry Beds.

Ray — who Glen invited on stage to sing The Parting Glass with at Trinity College Dublin earlier this month — described the Tuesday night music session in the Strawberry Beds bar as a favourite gig for the beloved musician.

Ray told us: “That Tuesday night music session in the Wren’s Nest was his thing.

“Glen would be in Philadelphia on a Sunday night and then be back playing there on a Tuesday. He was so passionate about music.”

Fans who saw a widely circulated video of Glen performing in the Wren’s Nest hours before his death had been intrigued by a song he was performing on his guitar.

The touching tune, about the break up of a relationship, added an extra poignancy to his last public performance.

Ray told The Irish Sun: “I have no idea what that song is called, but it does sound like one of Glen’s own songs.”

The Wren’s Nest bar dates back to 1588, and has been run by the same family for five generations.

It’s noted for its folk and trad sessions on Tuesday and Thursday nights, with locals commenting that the car park had been full last Tuesday night when Glen performed.

However, just hours later, the much loved singer was discovered on the road beside his motorbike at around 4.30am, west of the pub, between Tinkers Hill and Rugged Lane.

In a post on Facebook, the Wren’s Nest confirmed that Glen had been a regular visitor there and said they had been “deeply saddened his passing”.

The pub added: “It was always a privilege to welcome Glen to the Wren’s Nest over the years. He will be remembered for his incredible talent, generosity and the joy he brought to so many. Rest in peace, Glen.”

One Facebook user answered the post, writing of Glen: “He spent his last evening where he wanted to be, in great musical company.”

Another person added: “Like the rest of us who loved Glen, we can take solace from the fact that his last hours were spent doing what he loved, in a place he loved too.”

A third poster, added: “All of the crew from the Thursday night session are stunned and saddened at this heartbreaking news.”

A woman who was with Glen in the Wren’s Nest for his final gig was one of many who turned up to sign his book of condolences at the Mansion House in Dublin yesterday.

She said: “I was actually with him in the Wren’s Nest the other night, on Tuesday, sitting beside him, and I was just in awe at his genius, at his music and at his singing capabilities.”

Another regular recounted how the Ballymun-born musician had “no airs and graces about him” when he would visit the popular pub for a pint.

They said: “He would rock up and have to be badgered to play a song. Then, seven songs later, he’d still have the whole place singing.”

Senator and musician Frances Black was also among those who turned up to sign the book of ­condolences yesterday.

She spoke of a “huge sadness in the country today”, hailing the late Glen as a “beautiful soul and a magnet for love”.

She told The Irish Times: “When you met Glen, he would make you feel warm.

“He had an energy off him. There was no airs or graces about him. He wasn’t just somebody who went out and gigged big, huge venues, he really cared about homelessness and many other issues.”

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daryl Barron, commenting on the crowds who had queued up to sign the book of condolences since 10am, said: “You see the people coming through the door this morning. The warmth they have towards him.

“We’ve lost a good Dubliner, and a great storyteller for the city. I always thought of him every Christmas time at Bewley’s — he was a very charitable individual.”

The Frames singer, 56, was remembered in song last night when friends gathered in front of The Gaiety Theatre in the capital for what was billed as a memorial get-together — with those attending asked to bring a guitar.

The location is where the annual charity Christmas sing-song Glen started back in 2010 is usually held.

It helps raise funds for the Dublin Simon Community, and has featured an array of stars over the years, including Bono, Sinead O’Connor and Imelda May.

Glen’s management announced his death last Wednesday following a single-vehicle accident in the early hours.

Gardai and emergency services were alerted to the crash on the R109 Lower Road at 4.30am on Wednesday morning when a passerby came upon the scene.

They quickly raised the alarm, but despite receiving treatment, Hansard was pronounced dead a short time later.

There was said to be no significant damage to Hansard’s motorbike, and gardai are investigating the cause of the crash.

The singer’s family and management team expressed their shock at his sudden passing. In an online statement, it was announced: “With broken hearts, we announce the passing of Glen Hansard, who passed away in the early hours of this morning, following a road traffic accident in Dublin.

“Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time.

“The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene.”