Latest news with #LiamÓgÓhAnnaidh
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Fionola Meredith: Kneecap's Mo Chara faces terror charge over a flag, but shouldn't half of Northern Ireland be in the dock based on that logic?
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh is accused of a terrorism offence: displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig. There were surreal scenes this week outside Westminster Magistrates' Court when Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh — aka Mo Chara of the Irish language rap group Kneecap — arrived together with his two band mates, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí. An excited crowd waved flags, variously proclaiming 'Free Speech', 'Free Palestine' and 'Free Mo Chara'. Delighted cheers went up when a van drove past displaying the slogan 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara'. There were plenty of keffiyeh scarves in evidence, as well as the odd leprechaun hat and what I think was an inflatable shamrock.
Belfast Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Kneecap's Mo Chara faces terror charge over a flag, but shouldn't half of NI be in the dock based on that logic?
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh is accused of a terrorism offence: displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig. There were surreal scenes this week outside Westminster Magistrates' Court when Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh — aka Mo Chara of the Irish language rap group Kneecap — arrived together with his two band mates, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí. An excited crowd waved flags, variously proclaiming 'Free Speech', 'Free Palestine' and 'Free Mo Chara'. Delighted cheers went up when a van drove past displaying the slogan 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara'. There were plenty of keffiyeh scarves in evidence, as well as the odd leprechaun hat and what I think was an inflatable shamrock.
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Fans rally behind Kneecap after London court appearance: ‘If you're supporting Ireland, you're supporting Kneecap'
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.' READ MORE 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. 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.' [ Kneecap case: 'A woman pointed to a sniggering Móglaí Bap as the magistrate asked if anyone knew an Irish interpreter' Opens in new window ] 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'. 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.
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Kneecap: 'We're getting upper hand on British Empire'
DJ Próvaí of Belfast rap trio Kneecap has thanked fans who turned out to support them ahead of bandmate Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh's court case in London for an alleged terrorism offence. Speaking to RTÉ News ahead of their gig at Fairview Park in Dublin this evening, DJ Próvaí said that there was "great support there from a 1,000 people" and that fans had gathered because "they know we're going to win." Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who is known by his stage name Mo Chara, was charged in a London court on Wednesday and has been granted unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August. DJ Próvaí, whose real name is JJ Ó Dochartaigh, said the band "dealt a good blow to the courts in Westminster," and added that "we have them on the back foot". Asked about the impact that the court case has had on the band, he said that there was "a bit of relief" and that their court appearance on Wednesday went well "because it seems like we're getting the upper hand on the British Empire." DJ Próvaí also addressed the high calibre of Kneecap's legal team, which includes some heavyweight names. "We have top class world class lawyers there including Gareth Pierce, Darragh Mackin, Blinne, all of them top class," he said. He also addressed the atmosphere outside the court yesterday in London, saying that there was even a stage outside but he said "he was not surprised at all" at the level of support with the crowd chanting messages of support for free speech and for a free Palestine. Looking forward to tonight's gig in Fairview, DJ Próvaí said that Kneecap were "buzzing for it" as they have not played in Ireland for a while so "it's brilliant to be back". "The crowd will be giving it stacks and we want it to be one of the special nights of the year." He added: "We haven't been in Dublin in a good while and there's nowhere better than Fairview to do it!" Standing outside of the venue, a large crowd holding a mixture of Irish and international flags gathered this evening, with some saying they were attending the gig because of Kneecap's commitment to the Irish language, and others citing their pro-Palestinian political views as the reason they like them.
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Kneecap member's legal team includes barrister who freed Birmingham Six
Kneecap member Mo Chara- who was formally charged with terrorism offences at a London court on Wednesday – has hired a crack defence team. His legal reps include the barrister who successfully defended the wrongfully convicted Birmingham Six bombers; a solicitor who acted for Paddy Jackson in the notorious 'rugby trial' and an international rights lawyer who argued on behalf of South Africa in the 'genocide' case against the state of Israel. The Northern Irish rapper's souped-up defence team can be considered as somewhat of an indicator of the gravity of the charges levelled against him which could carry a hefty term behind bars. Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court. Pic: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock Four weeks ago, the Metropolitan Police announced that the 27-year-old performer had been charged under his real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh under the Terrorism Act on May 21 for 'displaying a flag in support of Hizballah, a proscribed organisation'. Subsequent to the charges, Kneecap announced that they would vehemently defend the charges. And with the conscription of the crack defence panel, it would appear that they intend to mount a robust defence in an effort to stave off jail time. The biggest hitter of the defence team is Guildford Four and Birmingham Six lawyer Gareth Peirce. Gareth Peirce (centre) at Westminster Magistrates' Court ahead of the court appearance of Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara. Pic:Ms Peirce is often described as one of the UK's leading human rights lawyers. She represented the Guildford Four as they fought to prove their wrongful convictions over the IRA's 1974 Guildford pub bombings. The case was made into a film in 'In the Name of the Father', with Emma Thompson playing the lawyer. Ms Peirce, who also went on to represent WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during his fight against US extradition, is joined on Mo Chara's legal team by Belfast-based Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law. Darragh Mackin (right) with Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (left), who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning. Pic: Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images Belfast-based solicitor Mr Mackin hit the headlines when he took on the case of former Irish rugby international star Paddy Jackson in the infamous trial that gripped the nation both North and South of the border. A one time star of the rugby world in 2017 Mr Jackson was charged with rape for which he was subsequently tried and cleared with a not guilty verdict after a protracted legal case in 2018. Paddy Jackson outside court in Belfast in February 2018. Pic:And beefing up the star-studded defence bench are three highly accomplished female members of the U.K. bar association. Brenda Campbell KC, Jude Bunting KC and Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC have been drafted into what is set to be a highly contentious case. Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January 2024. Pic: Selman Aksunger/Anadolu via Getty Images Perhaps the most high-profile of the aforementioned legal bigwigs is Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, who last year was tasked by South Africa with presenting its 'genocide' case against Israel in the International Court of Human Rights.
