Kneecap and Post-Troubles Republicanism

Image - Wikimedia

Kneecap. That name can stir up a huge variety of emotions for many. For the post-Troubles republican youth, a lifeline of Irish culture in a country that is growing ever more Anglican; for Unionists of all ages, a group of violent, terror-endorsing hooligans who built their brand on disrespecting all things the British hold sacred. Whether either of these viewpoints are correct is up for debate - I imagine it’s somewhere in the middle. Whether it be their chants of “Get yer brits out”, the presentation of a statue's decapitated head at a concert, or their alleged calls to “Kill your local Tory MP”- the group have never been one to avoid controversy. So, is the backlash the over-inflated political targeting of a group whose history is steeped in oppression, a reasonable response to a group of terrorist sympathisers who call for violence in the streets, or somewhere between the two.

Let’s start off by getting a profile of the group. The band’s story isn’t particularly widely reported (especially considering how prevalent they are). However, they were founded in 2017, the night before an Irish language rights march. Mo Chara (one of the band’s two singers) and his friend were spray painting the word Cearta (the Gaelic word for rights) on the side of a wall in Belfast. After being discovered by a member of the police they were both arrested. Beyond this, the details are sparse, however, after the incident Mo Chara teamed up with his two friends Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí and formed Kneecap (in reference to the IRA method of punishment by which they shoot someone’s kneecaps). Their first single“C.E.A.R.T.A” perfectly exemplifies the band’s message - staunch, unadulterated, unrestrained republicanism. These three aren’t afraid to make it known that they have personal grudges against everyone from the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) to the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) and even the Tory party - all informed by the childhoods of Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara.

The two singers grew up in mid-90s Catholic, West Belfast. This means their earliest years were immediately following one of the bloodiest periods of 20th century British and Irish history - The Troubles. While the wider conflict dates back roughly 800 years, The Troubles references the period between 1968-1998, following Irish Catholic protests about discrimination regarding housing, voting, and employment - calling for formal recognition of their civil rights. After a huge escalation involving violence and terrorism on both sides the conflict was widely recognised to have ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. However, sectarianism persisted. Communities rallied around the experiences they’d had and the ideologies of republicanism and Unionism stayed integral to Irish culture. A perfect example of this is the fact that most prominent Northern Irish political parties are centrally formed over either idea, whether that be Sinn Fein (around republicanism) or the DUP (around Unionism).

Kneecap's musical identity is centrally constructed around republicanism. Whether it be songs like “HOOD” repeating the line “Tiocfaidh ár lá”(“Our day will come”) or DJ Próvaí's tricolour balaclava. But, whilst it’s incredibly important that republican and Unionist voices alike are able to voice their views (as that type of oppression is, in essence, what brought on the troubles) we must also recognise that whenever anyone voices any view there exists the chance that it could be inflammatory, especially when it’s fundamentally tied to such a bloody period of history. Kneecap consistently make immensely inflammatory statements. For example, in August 2022 the group unveiled a mural of a burning PNSI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) van with the phrase “Níl fáilte roimh an RUC” next to it (translating to “The RUC are not welcome”). The RUC was the incredibly controversial former police force of Northern Ireland; due to issues around human rights violations and under-representation of Catholics the service was reorganised by the Good Friday agreement into the PNSI. What Kneecap could be trying to imply is that the RUC (and really the sentiments of the troubles) persist. This is a very difficult and in numerous ways dangerous line to toe. Making these sort of insinuations and using that very powerful imagery could be seen as incredibly reckless - or as challenging political activism. Whilst the members of Kneecap are young the history of oppression within Irish communities is not. When they make statements criticising Britain, its presence in what they would argue should be an independent nation, and imperialism as a whole it isn’t without reason. Their familial and communal ties to what they discuss is what makes it so impactful; they’re not detached academics or politicians but rather the children of an oppressed nation. Whilst what their saying is inflammatory and they need to toe the line carefully, this is something so many musicians before have done before-whether it be the N.W.A, Public Enemy, or Fela Kuti.

So, Kneecap are blatantly anti-imperialist when discussing the troubles; what about more modern happenings? As a response to the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank Kneecap have been incredibly vocal about their support of the Palestinian people. One of the most famous instances of this support was their second Coachella set from April 2025. During the set as they led chants such as ”Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians”, “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes”, and finally “F**k Israel. Free Palestine”. Now I’m sure that you can imagine that these statements were seen as immensely controversial; with Sharon Osbourne (TV presenter and wife of the late Ozzy Osbourne) condemning them as ”aggressive political statements”, “anti-Israel messages and “hate speech” in a statement on X. She also alluded to an incident involving the band allegedly shouting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, arguing that they “support terrorist organisations”. However, Kneecap didn't take this criticism lying down. In an email to Rolling stone Mo Chara responded to criticism, and the band recommended Osbourne should “listen to War Pigs”. 'War Pigs' is an anti-war anthem written by Black Sabbath (Which Osbourne’s husband sung for). So many have moved to critique Kneecap for their “aggressive political statements” without realising that these are sentiments so many bands have carried. Whether it be the Clash calling for wealth redistribution in “(White man) in Hammersmith Palais” or Band aid calling to “feed the world”, these statements are at their core political. Whilst I recognise that the topics hugely differ, the band wasn’t being criticised for supporting the Palestinian cause, it’s because their statements are considered “aggressive” and “political”. Whilst I do understand that the severity of her condemnation was given weight by her stating they “support terrorist organisation”, at the time they hadn’t even been charged. Weaving that into the statement was a purposeful tactic by which Osbourne could conflate their messages to that of terrorists. Whilst I understand that the video put out depicting them waving a Hezbollah flag is profoundly worrying (and deeply distressing for many, considering they’re terrorist organisations)- Osbourne’s choice to weave what was unofficial conjecture into her statement is unjust.

This is typical of criticism of Kneecap. Because of who they are, what they talk about, and where they come from it’s easy for their critics to immediately suggest that what they support is terrorism. This isn’t something that we’re seeing for the first time. Whether it was Fela Kuti (Late Nigerian radical activist and musician) and his family getting persecuted or the N.W.A getting told they can’t play “F**k Tha Police” in Detroit 1989, radical musicians who so staunchly challenge the political status quo are often labelled terrorists and hoodlums. Yes, Kneecap have made deeply inflammatory statements; but they aren’t terrorists. In addition, this is far from the first time that Irish republicans have written music like this. Irish republicanism has a rich musical history as the means by which artists can express their discontent and their political philosophy.

In conclusion, I don’t think Kneecap are terrorists or martyrs. Whilst I understand the deep controversy that has embroiled the band surrounding their singer’s terrorist charge - the choice of other celebrities and wider media organisations to use this to bad mouth them is deeply irresponsible. Moreover, I think it’s unfair to judge them simply for the fact that they’re so staunchly republican. They’re apart of a wider group of radical musicians (whether that be in their rap roots or those of their republicanism) and treating them as though they are a uniquely dangerous terror cell is wrong.

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