Created this so people can pop their theories and stories. Also to stop clogging up the Rest in Peace thread.
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You beat me to it. Many thanks!
I feel sad for his wife and son. He seems to have done alot of good and been a talented musician but the rumours seem to have been around for awhile.
Im also very confused by the overwhelming grief of so many people though....
Im also very confused by the overwhelming grief of so many people though....
Loved Glen and The Frames but have to admit the Marketa thing is definitely dodgy. I got into him much later from watching Once and the Dublin busking videos.
I believe he first met Marketa when Glen, Mic Christopher, Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan did loads of gigs in Prague in 2001. They each took a turn headlining or something. One of the videos has them singing in a sqare and I'm pretty sure Marketa is sat there watching. So all matches up him meeting her when she was around 13.
I believe he first met Marketa when Glen, Mic Christopher, Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan did loads of gigs in Prague in 2001. They each took a turn headlining or something. One of the videos has them singing in a sqare and I'm pretty sure Marketa is sat there watching. So all matches up him meeting her when she was around 13.
Could none of them have put on a shirt and a decent pair of shoes. Pack of scruffs.
RTE seem to protect his like. In fairness I think the funeral was organised at speed, but the Liam O'Maonlaoi bit was horrendous
I think the overwhelming grief is more understandable if you are a child of the 70s/80s... The Frames were a band that were not above the people. Glen Hansard took the time to not only talk to but befriend those that attended his gigs. He is the reason that artists like Josh Ritter became known to the world. I met him years ago after a gig in Whelans and he was the epitome of a gentleman. Every person I knew that met him (and nearly everyone had met him) had only good stories to tell of how he took time to talk to them and get to know them. He made people feel like they mattered.
In terms of his funeral I think his brother's performance blew every other star out of the water. The Frames music means a lot to so many and I know Once became a cult classic for a younger generation. I think Ireland lost something special last week and a kind of talent that doesn't come around often.
He didn’t always use these powers for good. I’m surprised that you were only privy to the positive. I was a great fan of his and was heartbroken 20 years ago to learn of his less than gentlemanly ways.
You are entitled to your own opinion. At this point in time I choose to remember the man that I met and the lived experience I had. I haven't heard any specifics of these rumours - only vague references on comment sections. Rumours remain rumours until there is evidence or proof and the dead cannot defend themselves.
I had several interactions with him (20+ years ago). All positive. He was always friendly and engaging; no creepy vibes whatsoever.
Not to discount that others may have had different experiences, but that's my own first hand experience as someone who didn't know him well, but met him a bunch of times, mostly after gigs and/or through various mutual acquaintances.
Some of the stuff I've read since his death has been wild, but mostly seems to be second-hand 'heard it from a friend' news or just rumours. I don't really know what to think. At the moment I'm just going on what I personally remember of him. If more comes to light, that could change.
That was awful! Good job, Paddy Casey!
You couldn't meet a nicer man than Glen. My OH has worked with him many times. Everyone always loved to see Glen's name down. But all the rumours over the years always made me uneasy. It's hard to know what to think about him. He did so much good for charity and people in general and made some beautiful music. But the other noise about him has been around for years and it's hard to shake that off.
It's not simple isn't it, people are not one-dimensional. It is entirely possible to only have positive experiences with him and on the other hand to see the worst of him on a bad day or at a certain setting. Even creeps take breaks from being sleazeballs.
If these rumours are completely unfounded, it's hard not to question some parts of his character though knowing that he most definitely had a type (young or adolescent-looking women) and all the people he mentored seemed to have been young women (often teens). I doubt he was the saint some want to see him as and I doubt all the things he did were out of the kindness of his heart.
Does this completely cancel his music career? Well, it doesn't stop people enjoying his music but in my case it makes me slightly uneasy or at least I view things more critically now. All these rumours, anecdotes etc. do not just start out of nowhere because of envy. They're way too detailed and specific IMO (the ones I've heard). But we won't know unless more evidence comes to light.
I have seen someone claiming his wife appears on some of his music videos already around 2010. It would mean he knew her five years before she moved to Dublin. I don't know what videos exactly so haven't checked, has anyone?
As for the accident, it does bother me that according to witnesses he left towards east from The Wren's Nest after 11:30 when the pub closed and it was briefly in the news that he then either "spent the night" or "several hours" (about four hours) at Castleknock hotel before heading home. It was expressed in a way that gave an impression he had either checked into a room or visited someone. He was found west from the pub. Why go to a hotel for hours after a gig before heading home to your wife and child?
In any case this is a tragedy to many people around him. They are of course entitled to reminisce him at his best, he just passed away. But when the dust has settled slightly it would be good to look into all these accusations before people start to build a cult around him.
P.S. His wife's eulogy at the funeral was beautiful as was her poem. It breaks my heart to think of her and the little boy trying to cope with everything.
If these rumours are completely unfounded, it's hard not to question some parts of his character though knowing that he most definitely had a type (young or adolescent-looking women) and all the people he mentored seemed to have been young women (often teens). I doubt he was the saint some want to see him as and I doubt all the things he did were out of the kindness of his heart.
Does this completely cancel his music career? Well, it doesn't stop people enjoying his music but in my case it makes me slightly uneasy or at least I view things more critically now. All these rumours, anecdotes etc. do not just start out of nowhere because of envy. They're way too detailed and specific IMO (the ones I've heard). But we won't know unless more evidence comes to light.
I have seen someone claiming his wife appears on some of his music videos already around 2010. It would mean he knew her five years before she moved to Dublin. I don't know what videos exactly so haven't checked, has anyone?
As for the accident, it does bother me that according to witnesses he left towards east from The Wren's Nest after 11:30 when the pub closed and it was briefly in the news that he then either "spent the night" or "several hours" (about four hours) at Castleknock hotel before heading home. It was expressed in a way that gave an impression he had either checked into a room or visited someone. He was found west from the pub. Why go to a hotel for hours after a gig before heading home to your wife and child?
In any case this is a tragedy to many people around him. They are of course entitled to reminisce him at his best, he just passed away. But when the dust has settled slightly it would be good to look into all these accusations before people start to build a cult around him.
P.S. His wife's eulogy at the funeral was beautiful as was her poem. It breaks my heart to think of her and the little boy trying to cope with everything.
Two things can be true, also we should know by now that some people hide in plain sight by being charmers to the people they need to be.
I would have know them socially, and various other Irish and international acts, drank with them etc... The stories were always there, passed along as people joined the circle, the scene itself could be incestuous, sleazy and insular at the best of times.
I've avoided their music for over a decade now.
Over the years there have been numerous online outlets with stories and first hand accounts that have been scrubbed, so these stories are not new.
I think the worst part of it is watching women I'd consider friends and copped on, who would be first to say believe women going to bat for a man who is dead, who there have been rumours about for years and who has his own public questionable quote about his relationship with a teenager.
Everyone's experience is not the same, and it's fine to remember your experience, but acknowledge it is not the only one. Seeing people post personal accounts and then been torn to shreds, asking for dates, specifics, calling them liars...... And then ask why they didn't say anything at the time....🫠🫠
I would have know them socially, and various other Irish and international acts, drank with them etc... The stories were always there, passed along as people joined the circle, the scene itself could be incestuous, sleazy and insular at the best of times.
I've avoided their music for over a decade now.
Over the years there have been numerous online outlets with stories and first hand accounts that have been scrubbed, so these stories are not new.
I think the worst part of it is watching women I'd consider friends and copped on, who would be first to say believe women going to bat for a man who is dead, who there have been rumours about for years and who has his own public questionable quote about his relationship with a teenager.
Everyone's experience is not the same, and it's fine to remember your experience, but acknowledge it is not the only one. Seeing people post personal accounts and then been torn to shreds, asking for dates, specifics, calling them liars...... And then ask why they didn't say anything at the time....🫠🫠
I just wish I could look at tributes like these and think it was all innocent. He seemed to be very close and personal with many young female artists. Creating and performing music is of course an intimate thing, especially if you really feel the music and the feelings portrayed in a song. But in that case you have to be careful not to mix a performance with real life. Some do and that's why romances happen between artists.
For whatever reason something bothers me about this close and personal thing where all of them felt exclusive and special with a man old enough to be their father. There's a power balance where they were not equal. And they all of course performed "Falling Slowly" with him.
That said, as long as everyone is over the legal age, can we criticise people for their fetishes? Some like a partner younger than themselves, some older. Some like people with a certain kind of hair, height, whatever. People are weird.
I guess I'm hoping there was nothing sordid there but then I've had my share of creeps breathing in my ear hoping to create sweet music with me and if I told others, no-one would've believed me.
For whatever reason something bothers me about this close and personal thing where all of them felt exclusive and special with a man old enough to be their father. There's a power balance where they were not equal. And they all of course performed "Falling Slowly" with him.
That said, as long as everyone is over the legal age, can we criticise people for their fetishes? Some like a partner younger than themselves, some older. Some like people with a certain kind of hair, height, whatever. People are weird.
I guess I'm hoping there was nothing sordid there but then I've had my share of creeps breathing in my ear hoping to create sweet music with me and if I told others, no-one would've believed me.
That said, as long as everyone is over the legal age, can we criticise people for their fetishes? Some like a partner younger than themselves, some older. Some like people with a certain kind of hair, height, whatever. People are weird.
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I think this is key. Legality does come into play here. If my 18 year old niece brought home a 36 year old man I would be incredibly concerned and probably disturbed but in the eyes of the law nothing is wrong. Does he deserve to be torn to shreds when no crime (that has been publicly confirmed) has been committed?
I also feel some recent arguments in comment sections are incredibly insulting to Marketa. She is an intelligent woman and she chose to remain friends with Glen in the aftermath of their relationship, remained performing with him and sang at his funeral. To say she remained in some sort of Stockholm syndrome for so many years is insulting to her own intelligence and her support network (family, husband etc who would have seen the friendship continue). I always wondered about that comment of Glen saying he met her at 13. He wasn't a stupid man. He would have known that would raise eyebrows given the age gap. Maybe he was telling the truth because it was actually the truth. He met her at 13 and a relationship developed years later. They both maintain the story and have done for 20ish years.
From what I am aware of he mentored as many young men as he did young women. It's easy to see the beautiful pictures of Rachel Zeglar and Olivia Vedder and view them in a sordid light but the same pictures exist with a young Dermot Kennedy and Josh Ritter.
I'm not saying he is innocent. People are complex and as a poster said above he could easily be both things. But I don't think he deserves to be be annihilated over rumour.
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I think this is key. Legality does come into play here. If my 18 year old niece brought home a 36 year old man I would be incredibly concerned and probably disturbed but in the eyes of the law nothing is wrong. Does he deserve to be torn to shreds when no crime (that has been publicly confirmed) has been committed?
I also feel some recent arguments in comment sections are incredibly insulting to Marketa. She is an intelligent woman and she chose to remain friends with Glen in the aftermath of their relationship, remained performing with him and sang at his funeral. To say she remained in some sort of Stockholm syndrome for so many years is insulting to her own intelligence and her support network (family, husband etc who would have seen the friendship continue). I always wondered about that comment of Glen saying he met her at 13. He wasn't a stupid man. He would have known that would raise eyebrows given the age gap. Maybe he was telling the truth because it was actually the truth. He met her at 13 and a relationship developed years later. They both maintain the story and have done for 20ish years.
From what I am aware of he mentored as many young men as he did young women. It's easy to see the beautiful pictures of Rachel Zeglar and Olivia Vedder and view them in a sordid light but the same pictures exist with a young Dermot Kennedy and Josh Ritter.
I'm not saying he is innocent. People are complex and as a poster said above he could easily be both things. But I don't think he deserves to be be annihilated over rumour.
Fair play to his wife for such a dignified speech after finding out he was in a hotel which led to his death.
Has that information been shared? Last I read, the Garda now know but it hasn’t been released to the public.
Gardaí believe Glen Hansard 'lost control of motorbike after hitting soft verge'
Gardaí trying to establish the singer-songwriter's whereabouts before the crash
They say a hotel and people have speculated castleknock hotel...