Hansard's legacy lives on as Christmas Eve Busk returns

Glen Hansard's legacy lives on as Christmas Eve Busk returns to Grafton Street

Updated / Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 10:17

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The death of musician Glen Hansard earlier this year has made this year's Christmas Eve Busk on Grafton Street particularly poignant, the CEO of Dublin Simon Community has said.

Catherine Kenny said the singer-songwriter's passing had been "incredibly impactful for us all" as musicians prepare to come together once again for the annual fundraising event he helped establish 15 years ago.

This year's busk will feature Mundy, The Coronas frontman Danny O'Reilly and Imelda May, who will continue the tradition of bringing music to Grafton Street and the surrounding area in support of people experiencing homelessness.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Ms Kenny said Glen Hansard's absence would be keenly felt, but that the musicians coming together to carry on the event reflected the strength of the community he helped build.

"It's a particularly poignant time for us this year. Obviously, his passing during the year was incredibly impactful for us all.

"It's so incredible to see the community that are coming together, as you said, led by Mundy, Danny O'Reilly and Imelda May, that community coming together during the emotional time and keeping his message, and the issue of homelessness, alive.

"And showing that there's still a dedication to raising that awareness, but also the true belief that homelessness isn't inevitable and that, by coming together, change is possible."

Ms Kenny also highlighted the scale of homelessness in Ireland, saying the situation was particularly difficult at Christmas, when many people are focused on spending time with family and loved ones.

She said around 70 per cent of the country's homelessness was concentrated in Dublin, representing approximately 12,000 people, with services facing significant demand.

"Really, at a time at Christmas when most of us think about warmth and home and being with the people we love, but for the people behind those numbers experiencing homelessness, they don't have that sense of safety and security.

"It's a particularly difficult time of year. They've got nowhere to call home."

The Christmas Eve Busk has raised more than €1 million for Dublin Simon Community over the years, with Ms Kenny saying the funds go directly towards frontline services.

She said the money supports people sleeping rough, those living in temporary accommodation and people at risk of losing their homes.

"Over the years, it's raised over a million euros for us, and that goes directly into service provision. That goes directly to people who are experiencing homelessness via our outreach services on the streets, or people who are in temporary accommodation, or people who are trying to sustain their existing [homes], because a huge part of it is about prevention.

"All that money goes directly to the services and to the people who are experiencing homelessness."

A number of other fundraising events will take place in the run-up to Christmas, including the Sing for Simon concert at the Helix on 6 December, a Community of Hope art auction launching on 27 November and a Carolathon on 14 December.

Ms Kenny encouraged people to support the charity in whatever way they could, saying that helping did not necessarily mean attending one of its events.

People can also organise their own fundraisers, volunteer, spread awareness or make a donation directly to Dublin Simon Community.

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