IN THE WEEK since his death, musician Glen Hansard has amassed over 3,000 written condolences on RIP.ie.

The condolence book on the popular site is open on Hansard’s death notice, allowing family, friends and fans from across the world to pay tribute to the late singer.

Hansard passed away on 29 July in a motor crash near Lucan in West Dublin.

Richie Kelly, head of RIP.ie, told The Journal “when a figure like Glen Hansard passes, RIP.ie becomes the place the whole country and the Irish diaspora go to grieve together”.

“It’s personal and that’s what makes it such a rich and powerful record,” he added.

While Kelly admitted that RIP.ie does not share the amount of views on individual notices, he said that the site has seen similar ‘outpourings of grief’ before.

The condolence book of fellow musician Shane MacGowan, who passed away three years ago, had a similar volume of written condolences, although slightly less than Hansard. 

However, condolence books on RIP.ie are not always open for the public to leave tributes.

This weekend also saw the passing of former head of the Irish Nationwide Building Society Michael Fingleton.

The 88-year-old businessman was a central figure during the financial crash of 2008.

Unlike Hansard, the condolence book on Fingleton’s death notice remains closed.

Kelly insisted that this is usually at the discretion of the funeral directors, who have an option to open a condolence book on every notice they place.

Books open as soon as a verified notice is published and stay open to new entries for 60 days before becoming read-only, which means messages are preserved but the record closes.

Kelly shared that all condolences are closely monitored on the site.

“Condolences are reviewed before they go live by a combination of AI-based systems and assessment by the RIP team,” he said.

A member of the public can also report a condolence they deem to be inappropriate in line with the Digital Services Act, which targets harmful content.

These reports will then be followed up by RIP.ie. 

A condolence book for Glen Hansard at Dublin's Mansion House Alamy Alamy

3.4 million users per month

Engagement with RIP.ie has grown significantly in recent years, with the site seeing over 20,000 condolences per day, Kelly maintained.

He added that the average number of users on the site this year so far was 3.4 million per month.

“Of course, that increases significantly when a well-known public figure passes away,” he said.

Similarly, individuals involved in highly publicised tragedies have received a high number of tributes on the platform.

The death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch in an e-scooter related accident earlier this year prompted a wave of condolences from across the island.

 
RIP.ie was founded by Dundalk siblings Jay and Dymphna Coleman in 2005 with the aim of creating a space to inform the public of funerals but also to encourage personal interactions with death notices, especially for those living far away.

Users are directed how to send flowers or make donations and can also set up email alerts for death notices in a specific town, for example.

It was acquired by The Irish Times group in 2024 as part of its expansion of digital services and products.

For the first time in January 2025, the site introduced a €100 fee for notices.

The fee targeted funeral directors who submit notices to the platform, but is ultimately paid by the family who chose to publish on the site. 

A charge to users of the site has not been introduced. 

Kelly said that the fees were introduced “to invest in and improve the service”.

However, at the time organisations such as the Irish Association of Funeral Directors voiced concerns to the site on the increased price.

The introduction of notice fees also created an opportunity for new competitors, such as Condolences.ie, to enter the market.

Asked if new charges have impacted engagement with the site, Kelly said there has not been a drop-off in the number of families choosing to publish a notice.

“Feedback from funeral directors and families has been positive, and usage of the site — both notices and condolences— has remained strong,” Kelly told The Journal.

When questioned on the enduring popularity of RIP.ie, Kelly believed that “it taps into something very Irish — the importance we place on paying our respects and celebrating life”.

“RIP.ie made that possible for anyone, anywhere, not just people who could get to a removal or a funeral,” Kelly said.

“It’s really the online version of expressing your sympathies and exchanging memories at the church door.”