The Sinn Féin leader praises Belfast Irish language rap group Kneecap for revitalising Irish language
Mary Lou McDonald has revealed she’d relish the chance to experience a mosh-pit at a Kneecap gig, whilst acknowledging her initial doubts that a band with such a provocative name could achieve mainstream success.
The Belfast hip-hop trio have skyrocketed to fame in recent years, with Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvai earning widespread acclaim for breathing new life into the Irish language. Speaking in an exclusive in-depth interview with the Irish Mirror, the Sinn Féin leader declared the Irish language is thriving and described Kneecap as “the standard bearers now”.
Her children were devotees of the politically-charged rap collective before she started singing along to their tracks herself. Back in 2020, Ms McDonald remarked that Kneecap “is not a very good name for a band”.
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When questioned whether she maintains this view, the Sinn Féin leader responded: “They have been incredibly successful with the Kneecap name.
“I remember when they came on the scene first, and I actually could not credit that any group would call itself Kneecap and be so successful, but I’ve loved their stuff. It’s their name, I like them and I think they’re great.”, reports the Irish Mirror.
Whilst the group’s moniker sparked considerable debate upon their emergence, it’s their music and political stance that have captured international attention. Their tracks, which blend Irish and English, feature lyrics such as ‘Get your Brits Out’, “Who is the most violent person you know except Arlene (Foster)” and “We’re back keeping diabetic politicians raging”.
The Sinn Féin leader revealed her favourite track is CEARTA, the tune that propelled the Belfast outfit into playlists nationwide. RTÉ banned the song owing to its explicit language and references to the PSNI, with the group rapping “Is cuma liom sa foc faoi aon gharda” (I don’t care about any guard).
Ms McDonald commented: “I like CEARTA, that’s a great song. I like all of them. It’s very clever music. It’s very intelligent, it has given a kind of currency and kind of vibrancy to Gaeilge that’s been unmatched. I mean, they’re a phenomenon. They are a cultural phenomenon.”
The Irish language enthusiast recently attended their sold-out performance at the 3Arena, though she steered clear of the mosh pits for which the band’s shows are renowned. She added: “It was great craic. It was an incredible gig. The energy is unbelievable.
“I wasn’t in the mosh pit sadly, I would’ve preferred to have been in the mosh pit, maybe next time.”
Ms McDonald expressed how remarkable it is to witness the younger generation showing such enthusiasm not just for the language but for Irish culture as a whole.
She remarked: “I think we have a generation of young Irish people I’m really proud of. I think they are amazing. I think our young people are incredible. I think they will change the world, actually, if we let them. And the job of my generation is to create the scenario in which the next generations can actually flourish, and we can have a united Ireland.
“And it’s not for us to be throwing roses at ourselves or bigging ourselves up, but to be true to who we are. And I think for me, that kind of Kneecap generation, there’s something really authentic and unapologetic about being Irish, about being strong, about being decent, and about being prepared to challenge power.”
As youngsters throughout the nation sing these Irish melodies, President Catherine Connolly is also aiming to breathe new life into the language by establishing it as the primary tongue spoken in Áras an Uachtaráin. The former Independent TD secured victory with an overwhelming 63 per cent against Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.
Ms McDonald described the triumph as one of her year’s standout moments, as left-wing parties rallied behind Ms Connolly’s candidacy. However, what resonated most with her during the campaign was the President’s legendary football skills that captured the internet’s attention.
She remarked: “The highlight of the campaign itself was the Courtney place in Ballybough, the kids and the keepie-uppies. I can’t tell you, the kids in the inner city now firmly believe correctly that they were central to Catherine actually getting elected.
“She came to their flats like presidential candidates don’t come to inner city blocks of flats and spend time with them. They had so much fun with her, and now they’re so excited that she’s been elected as president, and they want her to come back, and I very much hope in the new year that she’ll come back to those flats.”
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