“I am so sorry for your tragic loss”: Marketa Irglova mourns Glen Hansard’s death following motorcycle crash

Marketa Irglova has paid tribute to Glen Hansard, her former boyfriend and Once co-star, who passed away on Wednesday following a motorcycle crash in Dublin. Hansard was fifty-six. Irish police confirmed the single-vehicle incident took place in Lucan, on the western outskirts of the city, before 4:30 a.m.

The Oscar-winning Irish singer-songwriter is perhaps best remembered for "Falling Slowly," the song he wrote with Marketa Irglova for the 2006 film Once, which took home Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards. As per a report shared by Entertainment Weekly, though the two ended their relationship in 2009, they kept performing together as the Swell Season, most recently in 2025. Hansard had since married Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa in December 2022, and the couple had welcomed a son, Christy, just two months prior.

Taking to Instagram after news of his death broke, Irglova wrote,

"My deepest condolences to Glen's family, his brothers and his beautiful wife and son, you are all in my thoughts and prayers."

She added,

"I am so sorry for your tragic loss, my heart goes out to you. May his love always surround you, his spirit guide and protect you, and may his light shine on throughout your days."

Marketa Irglova shares a blessing for Glen Hansard's family as his management confirms his passing:

Irglova did not stop there. She continued her tribute with a blessing for Hansard's family, sharing,

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

As per a report shared by Entertainment Weekly, the news of Hansard's passing was confirmed through an official statement published on behalf of his management team, ATC Management.

"With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard in the early hours of this morning," the statement shared.

The team also requested space for those closest to Hansard, adding,

"We are still dealing with the shock of it all, so we kindly ask that the privacy of Glen's family, colleagues and friends is respected at this difficult time."

Marketa Irglova credits Glen Hansard as her biggest inspiration:

Irglova and Hansard's story did not begin with Once. Her father had helped put together a show for Hansard's band, the Frames, back in the Czech Republic, and the two had built a relationship long before they ever shared a screen. In the film, they play struggling musicians in Dublin, a dynamic that was not entirely far from the truth. Hansard, speaking to Entertainment Weekly around the film's release, did not hold back about his feelings for Marketa Irglova.

"I think we fell in love a couple of years ago, but nothing happened until recently. To be honest with you, I felt that even back then this girl had become so prominent in my life that she would probably be the girl I'd marry one day," he shared.

Marketa Irglova, for her part, has spoken openly about what Hansard meant to her as a musician. On Radio Prague International in 2011, she said,

"I learned everything from him. And once I had extracted those teachings from him I started developing something of my own afterwards. But at the beginning he was the biggest inspiration that there could have been."

Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard on choosing friendship over romance and finding their way back to music:

When their relationship ended, Hansard told The Sydney Morning Herald it was nobody's fault really, just a natural conclusion to something that had run its course.

"It did become a real relationship. I think it was just a very natural part of what we were doing together. We had made the film. We had gone through so much with the Oscar," he shared.

"Of course, we fell into each other's arms. It was a very necessary part of our friendship but I think we both concluded that that wasn't what we really wanted to do. So we're not together now. We're just really good friends," he added.

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Hansard, speaking to EW in 2009 about Strict Joy, their post-breakup album, managed to find some humor in it all.

"The crux of the whole thing is, we make good music together. I've always impressed her with a guitar in my hand. I just wasn't as good in bed. No, I'm kidding," he said.

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