When you think of the country of Ireland, what comes to mind? Is it the beautiful green countryside, traditional music, and Guinness? Well, you’re probably not alone on that front, but can you also picture the language being spoken? You probably think of English with an accent, but did you know that Ireland has its own language?
The language, anglicized as Irish but natively called Gaeilge or Gaelic, is a significant part of the culture of Ireland but has been forced to be forgotten over the centuries. Ireland was colonized by England for over 700 years, forcing the people to forgo many of their cultural traditions and customs, with their language being a major part of this.
With factors such as oppression of the language in colonization and millions leaving the country due to famine, the number of Irish speakers has shrunk from the entire population to a small percentage.
Today, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland, an independent country, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom and still falls under British rule. With Ireland becoming its own country in 1922, a resurgence of the Irish language has occurred, and there are many great proponents of this.
One music group has been at the forefront of this over the past several years, catching the attention of international audiences for their lyrics in Irish and anti-British sentiments. KNEECAP is a hip-hop trio from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has been all over social media as of late, spreading their music with both Irish and English lyrics advocating for full Irish independence.
The group has been active since 2017 and has stuck to its themes of Irish republican values throughout its music career. Members Mo Chara, MĂłglaĂ Bap, and DJ PrĂłvaĂ use these stage names as a reference to their real names and chose the name KNEECAP to allude to paramilitary punishment that took place during The Troubles.
The band’s first song, “C.E.A.R.T.A.” was released in 2017, and it’s named for the Irish word for rights, calling for independence from the very start. This song, along with many of their others, is entirely or significantly in Irish, and the band has served as a resource for those wanting to learn more about the language through lyrics.
While their message is very pro-Irish, their choice in using the language for their music is a statement in itself, showing pride in their native tongue and advocating that it should be widely taught.
Today, students learn Irish in school, but there are many complaints that the programs for the subject are very underfunded. Since the language is also not widely spoken in everyday life, many also lose the skills post-graduation, so the use of it by artists like KNEECAP is incredibly important.Â
All three members speak Irish fluently and are very outspoken about the need for other young people to also begin speaking it frequently. KNEECAP member Móglaà Bap comes from a family of champions of the Irish language, with his late father Gearóid Ó Cairealláin being a journalist, revolutionary, and overall proponent for its use. He set up the weekly Irish-language newspaper, Preas an Phobail, advocating for the language in British-controlled Northern Ireland.
KNEECAP’s first album, 3CAG, was released in 2018, and their second, Fine Art, was released in 2024, along with their film KNEECAP.Â
The movie, directed by Rich Peppiatt, is a musical comedy telling the story of two rebellious boys and their teacher fighting to save their native language in Northern Ireland, inspired by the band itself. The film stars the members of KNEECAP playing fictional versions of themselves, alongside Irish actors Jessica Reynolds and Michael Fassbender.
The film received many nominations and wins at the Irish Film & Television Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Critics Choice Awards. It is greatly appreciated, especially in Ireland, with Irish actor and Academy Award Winner Cillian Murphy apologizing when he won an IFTA Award over the film in February.
KNEECAP’s message and mission made it to the legal field last year after filing a lawsuit against the British government for withholding an arts grant gifted to the group. The government revoked the awards after claiming that the band’s message wasn’t in the public interest, but the band contested that it simply wasn’t in the interest of the conservative British government they were speaking against. The band won the case in November, with their grant being reinstated.
KNEECAP’s movement is not only for a fully free Ireland but also for awareness and consistency in speaking the Irish language. Representing and advocating for a language and a culture that faced centuries of oppression is extremely important in today’s world, in which we are seeing the opposition and genocide of entire ethnicities.
KNEECAP has advocated for groups who have also faced and are currently encountering inequality and violence, such as Palestinians. The group has donated proceeds from their film to Palestinians, worn pro-Palestine badges on red carpets, and set up a mural in Belfast that reads “Saoirse Don PhalaistĂn,” or Free Palestine.
In Northern Ireland, the popularity of joining the Republic has increased recently, and with a nationalist leader, there is even a chance a referendum could be held for the people to put it to a vote once again. Groups like KNEECAP are important to this mission, spreading the word for independence that many may not know is an option.
If one thing is for sure with this trio, it’s that they will continue to make waves in the music, film, and cultural scene in Ireland and around the world, and I’ll certainly be listening.
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