Glen Hansard

[Carapop]

 

[DaisyChain90]

I'm sorry to ask what may be a tasteless question here but what is he actually accused of??? I genuinely haven't seen any actual recollections of anybody who directly experienced these alleged interactions / burner phone transactions. Lots of "a friend of a friend" stories or "it's well known in the industry" but no actual accounts. The number 1 person that is being suggested is Marketa Irglova who as I already mentioned maintained a strong relationship with him even after his death. And to suggest him of grooming her, I believe is insulting to both her and her family members who continued to keep him in high esteem.

So what is he actually accused of? Is it propositioning people under the 18? Is it lewd suggestions? Is it hands on attacking???

Genuinely I haven't seen anything online that actually condemns the man of a crime. A man in his thirties having a relationship with a 19 year old - in poor taste (maybe yes), illegal - no. A man in his 50s marrying a woman in her 30s - raise an eyebrow (maybe yes), illegal - no.

If he wrote a song about Damian Rice and dated girls over 18 he didn't do anything legally wrong. I'm ready to believe women - I just haven't heard any direct accounts from them. Until then, as far as I'm concerned - Glen is innocent.

 

[Mrs Fluff]

I feel like this is a safe space for me to say that the funeral was a complete circus and most of the musicians were abysmal. Never heard The Auld Triangle butchered as badly. What is with RTE's obsession with this man also?

RTE seem to protect his like. In fairness I think the funeral was organised at speed, but the Liam O'Maonlaoi bit was horrendous

 

[dothprotesttoomuch]

Do you not realise whole families can be manipulated by groomers? That's their MO. They are as charming as they are manipulative. And my understanding is that quite a lot of stories/evidence did come out at the time they happened from those directly involved, but the threatened legal action by Hansard made them go away. This information is all out there, but you clearly want it handed to you on silver platter.

I can see why people who tried to speak out years ago but were silenced by these threats may not want to come forward now; they might feel it's not worth the hassle that will come from those who worship Saint Hansard and won't hear a bad word about him. Imagine the trial by media they would suffer and for what? Nothing will happen to a dead man, but their lives - which presumably have moved on in the interim years - will be turned upside down. Others, like Marketa, might still hero-worship him and not see anything wrong with his behaviour.

There are way too many stories, all along a similar vein, for there to be no smoke without fire. It's not just one or two stories either.

ETA: his own words about Marketa are also the proof you are looking for, but you seem to keep finding ways to ignore it. They got together when she was 17 and he said himself he fell in love with her years before that! When she was a literal child! What more proof do you need?! He said they waited until she was 17 and I do actually believe this, because I think men like Hansard are cunning and will skirt the lines of legality. But dont think he wasn't getting his jollies in places abroad where the age of consent was younger, while he waited/groomed Marketa AND her family.

 

[Lovenews]

Fair play to his wife for such a dignified speech after finding out he was in a hotel which led to his death.

 

[Lovenews]

His poor wife.

THIS. Poor Maire.

 

[Thegoodlife]

I'm sorry to ask what may be a tasteless question here but what is he actually accused of??? I genuinely haven't seen any actual recollections of anybody who directly experienced these alleged interactions / burner phone transactions. Lots of "a friend of a friend" stories or "it's well known in the industry" but no actual accounts. The number 1 person that is being suggested is Marketa Irglova who as I already mentioned maintained a strong relationship with him even after his death. And to suggest him of grooming her, I believe is insulting to both her and her family members who continued to keep him in high esteem.

So what is he actually accused of? Is it propositioning people under the 18? Is it lewd suggestions? Is it hands on attacking???

Genuinely I haven't seen anything online that actually condemns the man of a crime. A man in his thirties having a relationship with a 19 year old - in poor taste (maybe yes), illegal - no. A man in his 50s marrying a woman in her 30s - raise an eyebrow (maybe yes), illegal - no.

If he wrote a song about Damian Rice and dated girls over 18 he didn't do anything legally wrong. I'm ready to believe women - I just haven't heard any direct accounts from them. Until then, as far as I'm concerned - Glen is innocent.

I’ve seen so many people say this about Marketa, without realising the knock on affect it could have. Other victims may think, oh well if M is ok with it then I should be too.

Pretend for a moment we have no idea who Marketa is, and you heard Glen tell the same story about his friend’s daughter who he fell in love with when she was a child. Would you feel any different? The fact that they stayed close should mean nothing.

 

[dothprotesttoomuch]

So you believe Marketa is an idiot then?

Poster is clearly being sarcastic that this is what defenders of Hansard are saying to justify the "relationship". However Marketa was groomed and many victims of grooming never realise that's what happened to them, hence why Marketa still defends him - but others are too idiotic to see this.

 

[Debra_Whinger]

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.

 

[Debra_Whinger]

I don't expect much to come out of it for a while. His fans are quite frankly so terrifyingly fanatic that no-one dares to come out with their own face to accuse St. Hansard of the homeless. That said, I noticed an FB reel the other day of Glen performing with Olivia Vedder (hate to say it but she was awful, can't really see why he wanted to mentor her if it was supposedly because of exceptional talent) and about half the comments were people questioning his motives.

I guess people are quiet also because they are thinking of his widow and child. Unless she comes out saying she knew what he was like and didn't like it or something really damning came out, I expect it to take months or years for someone to step forward. Then again, maybe she knew and didn't care. The one thing I don't like is seeing so many people (not here of course) now defending very large age differences (this includes relationships where the woman is a teen) saying it is nobody's business and "love is love".I mean, suddenly anything goes...?

 

[MaryLou32]

Do you not realise whole families can be manipulated by groomers? That's their MO. They are as charming as they are manipulative. And my understanding is that quite a lot of stories/evidence did come out at the time they happened from those directly involved, but the threatened legal action by Hansard made them go away. This information is all out there, but you clearly want it handed to you on silver platter.

I can see why people who tried to speak out years ago but were silenced by these threats may not want to come forward now; they might feel it's not worth the hassle that will come from those who worship Saint Hansard and won't hear a bad word about him. Imagine the trial by media they would suffer and for what? Nothing will happen to a dead man, but their lives - which presumably have moved on in the interim years - will be turned upside down. Others, like Marketa, might still hero-worship him and not see anything wrong with his behaviour.

There are way too many stories, all along a similar vein, for there to be no smoke without fire. It's not just one or two stories either.

ETA: his own words about Marketa are also the proof you are looking for, but you seem to keep finding ways to ignore it. They got together when she was 17 and he said himself he fell in love with her years before that! When she was a literal child! What more proof do you need?! He said they waited until she was 17 and I do actually believe this, because I think men like Hansard are cunning and will skirt the lines of legality. But dont think he wasn't getting his jollies in places abroad where the age of consent was younger, while he waited/groomed Marketa AND her family.

Just to note- all the articles I've seen reference them getting together when she was 19- not 17.
Though he did say he had been in love with her for a couple of years previous, so when she was around 17.
Which as others has pointed out, may be icky/ creepy/uncomfortable, but not illegal.

 

[Mrs Fluff]

Created this so people can pop their theories and stories. Also to stop clogging up the Rest in Peace thread.

You beat me to it. Many thanks!

 

[Warpaint]

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.

 

[DaisyChain90]

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.
[/QUOTE]
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.

 

[Debra_Whinger]

Gardaí believe Glen Hansard 'lost control of motorbike after hitting soft verge'

Gardaí trying to establish the singer-songwriter's whereabouts before the crash

www.corkbeo.ie

They say a hotel and people have speculated castleknock hotel...

I definitely saw a news article where it was revealed. Hotel staff said they would not comment whether he had checked in and was staying for the night or visiting someone. But then later the article was edited and the hotel bit removed. Cannot prove it since I haven't found the original article yet.

 

[dothprotesttoomuch]

Pretty damning interview.

I also read (but can't find it right now) that Cillian Murphy dropped out because of the age gap in the film. But Hansard - who recommended Marketa - and was even older than Cillian, was fine with it. Sure it was "art imitating life" after all. The only reason Hansard was "uncomfortable" with kissing in the film is because it would have exposed him for what he was.

 

[Carapop]

I think what’s important to keep in mind is that there is a stark and remarkable difference between what is creepy and what is criminal.

 

[Slysally63*]

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....

 

[Debra_Whinger]

Someone on Facebook comments today under a news article about the crash investigation:

He gave a lift home to one of the other musicians in the pub. My next-door neighbour said that the guy that got the lift is a friend of a man she works with.

Giving a lift to someone for several hours though...? How far did he drive? Did he have a spare helmet and would people just casually be up for a ride on a motor bike...? And since it's a musician, surely they had their instrument with them too?

I dunno... Sounds like a friend covering up for him. Conveniently when it's a pleasant story it's not hearsay that the person given a ride was your neighbour's co-worker's friend. When it's something unpleasant, your ex-girlfriend or sister is an unreliable and too distant source. Got it.

 

[shellie]

The amount of stuff online that has been removed over the years, numerous accounts online detailing behaviour, and still women who didn't even know him will blindly defend him, while being on a website calling out influencers for day-to-day indiscretions.
Its sad watching people post their experiences and then being ripped to shreds by anon accounts asking, 'but what age were you', 'Did you tell anyone else' 'Marketa is still friends with him'.... and then having to delete them for their own safety.
It's so disheartening to see, and people ask why women don't speak out loud. If we've learnt anything, it should be to disagree with something if you want, but if people are posting their lived experiences, I'd rather give them the space and let the dust settle, rather than go to bat for a dead person I didn't know.

Happens all the time. I used to follow many bands back in the day and when people started talking about who were creeps, it was easier naming bands who didn't have at least one member accused. Many of those I hung with were always 'believe the victim' when people were named and called out anyone who believed the person was innocent...until it was someone they liked. Then it was 'Maybe we should hear from both sides first or 'I'm not saying they are lying but it's clear they have issues'. Even when the person themselves finally admitted it or other band members revealed they saw evidence that proved it, it was 'Yeah but maybe they have it wrong'.

As you say it sucks.