Kneecap’s place in the Irish zeitgeist was voiced without hesitation by fans of the Irish-language rap group streaming into Dublin’s Fairview Park venue in their thousands on Thursday evening.
Having jockeyed for position in cultural and social spaces in recent years, for many fans the group now stands both at the intersection and forefront of Irish music and politics.
Eimear O’Connor from Finglas, Dublin, has been a fan of Kneecap since the release of their song Cearta. For her, the group is all encompassing – from Bohemian Football Club and Bang Bang coffee shop to recognising the lasting impact of colonialism on Ireland and Palestine.
“Rapping as Gaeilge is a huge way to bring Irish into modern culture and get people interested in it,” O’Connor said. “Also, given Irish traditional music and the linguistics of Gaeilge, it works so well with rap.”
Like other fans, she was excited to hear what Kneecap might have to say about Mo Chara’s (AKA Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) London court appearance on Wednesday.
Ó hAnnaidh was charged under UK antiterrorism legislation with showing support for a proscribed organisation after it was alleged he draped himself in a Hizbullah flag at a London gig last November and shouted “up Hamas, up Hizbullah”, referring to the Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups respectively.
Rebecca Nichols and Keith Henderson said they are unsupportive of the case against him.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous, there’s no evidence,” Nichols said. “Even if you don’t agree with what he said, does he not have free speech to say it?”
Pointing to the Irish Tricolours and Palestinian keffiyehs donned by surrounding concert goers, she added: “If you’re supporting Ireland, you’re supporting Kneecap.”
Henderson said it is more important than ever to show support for the group, who he originally began to follow because of their use of the Irish language. “It’s good to keep the Irish language alive,” Henderson said. “It’s also funny rap, it’s entertaining”.
[ Kneecap in Fairview Park review: Defiant, considered and celebratoryOpens in new window ]
Rhia McConnell, an Irish teacher from Cork, credits Kneecap with reviving her students’ interest in the language. “It’s given some of them a huge love for Irish, the Kneecap film really helped a lot,” McConnell said.
“People in their 20s and 30s relate to them too because their music is just so modern.”
The link between their music and advocacy seems undeniable – fan Cheryl Walshe said they have introduced children to what colonialism truly means and “also act as a counter to some of the racist rhetoric” that young people may be exposed to.
Thursday night marked the numerical pinnacle of their career with Fairview Park hosting their biggest solo gig to date with a capacity crowd of 8,000.
Another appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court awaits Mo Chara who is contesting the charge and has not yet entered a plea. The group may face rocky times ahead, but steady support is strongly behind them.
