BBC reports it was a motorcycle crash outside of Dublin.
He was only 56. Incredibly sad; I loved his music. What a loss.
Wow, what a bummer.
If you’ve not seen the movie “Once”, you owe it to yourself to check it out (or at least listen to the soundtrack).
mmm
Falling Slowly is his most famous song (for which he won the Oscar), recorded with Marketa Irglova and featured in Once, referenced above by Mean Mr. Mustard. IMO, it’s one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and if you’ve never heard it, you owe it to yourself to listen to this live version, which captures both its delicateness and its majesty with a fully engaged crowd. I’ve heard it hundreds of times and I still get chills. Truly a masterwork.
I knew I recognized his name - he was in The Committments.
Apparently he was a renowned artist apart from that, but that’s how I knew him.