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U2 Leads Tribute at Glen Hansard’s Funeral

8/6/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Ireland held Glen Hansard's funeral on Tuesday, August 4, with U2 participating in a tribute.
Bono performed Patti Smith's lullaby voicemail and recited verses from “Beautiful Day.”
Eddie Vedder and Markéta Irglová sang “The Song of Good Hope” and then performed Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.”
Hansard died in a motorcycle crash on July 29 at age 56, prompting tributes from U.S. President Barack Obama and Irish President Michael D. Higgins.

History

Historical Context

The pattern of high-visibility tributes to music icons began with Michael Jackson’s death on June 25 2009, whose televised memorial drew an estimated 2.5 billion viewers and prompted condolences from President Barack Obama and U2. That precedent frames Glen Hansard’s August 2024 funeral, where U2, Eddie Vedder, Markéta Irglová and Obama again issued public tributes, echoing the same media-political-philanthropic convergence.

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Story summary

Ireland held Glen Hansard's funeral on Tuesday, August 4, with U2 participating in a tribute.
Bono performed Patti Smith's lullaby voicemail and recited verses from “Beautiful Day.”
Eddie Vedder and Markéta Irglová sang “The Song of Good Hope” and then performed Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.”
Hansard died in a motorcycle crash on July 29 at age 56, prompting tributes from U.S. President Barack Obama and Irish President Michael D. Higgins.

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