IT WAS A rainy and cold Christmas Eve on Grafton Street this evening – but that didn’t stop the crowds turning out for the annual busking session led by Glen Hansard.

The singer had announced beforehand that, given the situation at Apollo House this year, all the proceeds raised on the street will go to the Peter McVerry Trust the Dublin Simon Community.

Hansard and his crew of buskers started into Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

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While the crowds thronged the street and sang along

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Joined by other singers and activists from the performance at Apollo House earlier this week

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A rousing rendition of Fairytale of New York was up next

It's Christmas on Grafto! @Glen_Hansard @gavinjames pic.twitter.com/DrYruROxYo

— eavan (@eavanmc) December 24, 2016

If you can’t see the video, click here. 

At this stage, Gavin James had joined the merry band – along with Damien Rice and The Coronas

#GavinJames #TheCoronas #GlenHansard #DamienRice busking on #GraftonStreet until the police 🚨 stopped them 🙈 pic.twitter.com/HKTWMUcJlL

— Tom Flynn (@tomflynnphoto) December 24, 2016

If you can’t see the video, click here.

The busking ended because there were just too many people blocking the road, as Glen Hansard addressed the crowd:

I hope that you can understand that we are in a delicate position with the law – a lot of us up here – and we need to do the right thing. We’re either going to have to move this or we’ll end it and we’ll call it in good grace. Thanks a lot for coming, and thanks a lot for giving your support.

As TheJournal.ie reports from the scene, some bystanders were concerned by the sheer amount of crowding evident.

Sasko Lasarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lasarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

It was disappointing for some who attended hoping for more songs

They finished with one final tune though: Mic Christopher’s Heyday.

And earlier Hansard had floated the idea of getting the busking going elsewhere in the country

Hopefully, despite the curtailed set list, there was plenty of money raised for those causes this Christmas Eve.

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