Mo Chara supported by fans as he returns to court over alleged terror offence
In November last year, at a gig in London, he was accused of displaying a flag in support of the terror group Hezbollah. The group have continuously denied the allegations that Óg Ó hAnnaidh is facing.
Demonstrations to support the musician have been arranged outside of Westminster Magistrates, as well as in Dublin, Ireland. London's Metropolitan Police have since imposed conditions, limiting where demonstrations can take place outside of the court, stating that they need to "prevent serious disruption."
The rap trio have branded the move "a calculated political decision designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome." They added: "There is no basis for this, our last hearing was entirely peaceful and a loving show of solidarity with the most disruptive attendees the right wing media."
They said in a statement: "We know all of our supporters will be, but please go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful."
In court last month, prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said that Óg Ó hAnnaidh was "well within his rights to voice his opinions and his solidarity, as is anybody else." He added: "The allegation in this case is a wholly different thing and deals with the video recording showing that, in November of last year, Mr O'Hanna wore and displayed the flag of Hezbollah … while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah."
Responding, Brenda Campbell, Óg Ó hAnnaidh said that the charge was too late as it came more than six months after the alleged crime took place. Campbell added: "If we are right in relation to that, then this court has no jurisdiction and there ends the case."
Óg Ó hAnnaidh is yet to enter a plea to the charge. We will be bringing you live updates throughout the case.
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09:27 Daniel Bird
With less than an hour to go until Óg Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear, supporters outside of Westminster Magistrates Court have started chanting.
"Free Mo Chara," could be heard, while people were waving Irish flags. Fans of Kneecap have started chanting outside the court (Image: PA)
09:18 Daniel Bird
Chris Hazzard, the MP for South Down in Northern Ireland, has taken to social media to share his support for Óg Ó hAnnaidh.
In a statement, he said: "This morning Kneecap's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh is back in Westminster Magistrates' Court. As the rogue Israeli regime continues their genocide in Palestine, supported by complicit western governments, it is a rapper from West Belfast — not the war criminals — who are being dragged before the courts.
"This is the same British justice system that stays silent on the British government's complicity in Israel's brutal and relentless assault on the defenceless people of Gaza. Kneecap are on the right side of history. Their courage in calling out Israel's genocide in Palestine, despite the full weight of the western establishment against them, deserves recognition and support.
"Free Mo Chara – Free Palestine." South Down MP Chris Hazzard has voiced his thoughts (Image: PA)
08:51 KEY EVENT
The Met has confirmed that a Public Order Act is in place today. In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, the force said: "We've imposed Public Order Act conditions to prevent serious disruption being caused by a protest outside Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow.
"Protest in support of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh and aligned causes must remain in the red area. Any stage must be erected in the green area." The Met have put a Public Order Act in place ahead of the hearing (Image: @metpoliceuk/X)
08:33 Daniel Bird
Fans of the band have already started arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court to show their support, with placards and some waving Palestinian flags. Fans of Kneecap have started arriving at court to show their support (Image: PA)
One sign said: "Kneecap rap for what is right." While another read: "Hands off Mo Chara." Fans have been vocal over their support (Image: AP)
08:30 Daniel Bird
Kneecap fans have been asked to support Óg Ó hAnnaidh outside of Westminster Magistrates Court, as well as outside Connolly Books in Temple Bar, Dublin.
08:29 KEY EVENT
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday following a statement from the Met, who have imposed a Public Order Act, the band said: "We massively appreciate the support of what we know are the majority of the public, who can see this farce for what it is. It is distraction from war crimes that the British state support.
"In our view this police action is designed to try and portray support for kneecap as somehow troublesome. It is a calculated political decision the night before Mo Chara's court appearance.
"There is no basis for this, our last hearing was entirely peaceful and a loving show of solidarity with the most disruptive attendees the right wing media. We know all of our supporters will be, but please go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful.
"Free Palestine."
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Putting our schoolchildren in little suits kits them out for a non-existent adult world
Right at the top of last weekend's To Do list was a task of major developmental significance: getting the uniform for my four-year-old daughter's impending debut in the local Junior Infants class. So, with 30 minutes between the designated shop's opening time and swimming lessons, we made our approach. Hers will be a sensible uniform: a green cotton tracksuit with white polo shirt (both which — pending non-ruination — will serve her little brother in a few short years) and runners (model's own). It's sensible, that is, until she hits first class, when, like many of her unsuspecting cohort, she will be expected to wear a collared shirt, plaid skirt, and woollen(ish) jumper. While she weaves between my legs and the racks of school and sporting apparel in the uniform shop, I watch a boy I think is about eight model his uniform for his mother. In a whimsical weekend mood, I can't but be struck by how funny he looks in these garments, which, if we strip away the normalising context, are really the elements of a miniature suit. I genuinely believe this part of the institutional clothing landscape is weirder and funnier than is given credit. My reaction to the boy reminded me of a verse by the 18th-century poet Mary Barber. Barber was Irish, a friend of Jonathan Swift, and a mother of nine who wrote a lot about and to her children. The following lines are from 'Written for my Son… at his First Putting on Breeches', which is a lament about the titular son's move from looser garments into the more tailored 'breeches' popular at the time. WHAT is it our mamma's bewitches, To plague us little boys with breeches? To tyrant Custom we must yield, Whilst vanquish'd Reason flies the field. Our legs must suffer by ligation, To keep the blood from circulation; And then our feet, tho' young and tender, We to the shoemaker's surrender; Who often makes our shoes so strait, Our growing feet they cramp and fret; Whilst, with contrivance most profound, Across our insteps we are bound; Which is the cause, I make no doubt, Why thousands suffer in the gout. Leaving aside the worries about paediatric gout, Barber is obviously well attuned to the total unsuitability of trousers modelled on adult fashions to the lifestyle of a child. I'm actually fairly ambivalent on the ideologically grander question of uniforms versus no uniforms. Decent arguments can be found on either side of the issue, and it seems irritatingly plausible to me that the balance might well be tipped by individual character traits in kids. Children with issues in the box once described as 'fussy' might benefit from the morning's what to wear negotiation being taken off the table, in a way that could be expected to yield harmonious consequences for all involved. And certainly, in these times of rampant inequality in Ireland, it's easy to worry that individual school clothing choices might become yet another signifier of economic difference that could leave some kids feeling they are sticking out for the wrong reasons, or worse, actively picked on. On the other hand, shy or self-conscious children may like to have more control over what they wear, especially where uniforms are austere or heavily gender differentiated. Ditto for kids with sensory issues or sensitive skin, since affordable multipacks of school shirts are likely to be worth their weight in polyester and rayon. An itchy child is not necessarily an attentive child. Uniforms a colonial hangover A further spiritual gripe could be raised about the fact that uniforms are probably yet another lingering colonial hangover. Most European countries have moved away from uniforms in state schools, with three exceptions — Britain, Ireland and Malta. What does seem obviously silly is the chasm between the formality and cumbersomeness of the formal uniforms and the costuming tendencies of the modern workforce. Certain professions used to dress in a manner much closer to a uniform — suits for all, all the time. Putting girls in clothes that are impractical for physical activity sends a message about what we think they should be doing with their bodies that can permeate more deeply. Thus, the school uniform might plausibly have been regarded as aspirational, in styling children in a manner approximating the wardrobes of professions many parents considered desirable. But the number of professional adults in suits has fallen off a cliff in recent years, where office life has relaxed considerably. And that's before accounting for the fact that fewer people than ever spend most of the week in an office setting anyway. So, we may soon end up in a scenario where our children (whose days should be much less sedentary than many of us in the workforce) are the most formally attired among us. Before long, the only shirts may be in the courtroom and the classroom. A knock-on impact of this formality is that the parents and guardians of primary schoolers — who, it must be owned, aren't renowned for their independence — are tasked with running a more demanding laundry service than is absolutely necessary. This is especially unwelcome in a phase of life, where such people are intermixing the, let's say, somewhat capricious timetabling of the primary school calendar with other valuable hobbies like being employed or managing full-time caring arrangements. Another disadvantage of the formal uniform styles is their heavily gendered nature. Girls, who might prefer not to wear skirts, are often forced to choose an alternative that history and convention have designated 'the boy option'. Thus, deciding what to wear becomes a bigger and more sociologically loaded thing than it should be. And there are a lot of reasons to avoid skirts: Reason 1: Ireland's meteorological realities; Reason 2: Ireland's grim recent cosmetic tendencies. I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping we can keep worries like 'are these leg hairs obvious' or 'do I need fake tan?' off the table at least until secondary school; Reason 3: Wearing skirts makes doing many things I want my daughter to be doing — practising cartwheels at lunchtime, eventually cycling her bike to school, etc — difficult and potentially embarrassing to do. In Throwing like a Girl, political theorist Iris Marion Young wrote about the struggles women face in developing a natural way of engaging with the world using their bodies. The essay opens with an observation that, unlike boys of the same age, who throw their bodies fully into physical pursuits, 'the girl of five does not make any use of lateral space. She does not stretch her arm sideward; she does not twist her trunk; she does not move her legs, which remain side by side. All she does in preparation for throwing is to lift her right arm forward to the horizontal and to bend the forearm backward in a pronate position… The ball is released without force, speed, or accurate aim.' Whether or not that same observation would be true today, there's no denying young girls experience especially acute anxieties about their bodies. The insights Young offers are complex and rooted in deep theoretical concepts spanning everything from compromised phenomenology to reification of the body. But I wonder if we could point a further, simpler finger at the ways we often dress girls. Putting them in clothes that are impractical for physical activity sends a message about what we think they should be doing with their bodies that can permeate more deeply.
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I just knew one day people would finally get Nick Drake, says legendary producer Joe Boyd
Drake died aged 26 in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants, never enjoying commercial success in his lifetime, never knowing how much he would be appreciated. TROUBLED SOUL I just knew one day people would finally get Nick Drake, says legendary producer Joe Boyd 'I REMEMBER the moment I first saw Nick. He was very tall – but kind of apologetically tall.' Legendary producer Joe Boyd is casting his mind back to January 1968, to the day 'very good-looking but very self-effacing' Nick Drake dropped a tape off at his London office. 5 Nick Drake died aged 26 in 1974, never enjoying commercial success in his lifetime Credit: Getty - Contributor 'He stooped a bit, like he was trying not to seem as tall as he was. Advertisement 'It was wintertime and there were ash stains on his overcoat. He handed me the tape and trundled off. 'My first encounter with Nick's music was, most likely, that same evening or possibly the following one.' Boyd, an American who became a central figure in the late Sixties British folk-rock boom, was 25 at the time. Drake was 19. He cut a striking figure — lanky with dark shoulder-length hair framing his boyish features. Advertisement Through his company, Witchseason Productions, Boyd came to helm stellar albums by Fairport Convention (with Sandy Denny), John Martyn, Shirley Collins and The Incredible String Band. But there was something indefinably mesmerising about those three songs passed to him by the quiet teenager who studied English Literature at Cambridge University. As Boyd switched on his 'little Wollensak reel-to-reel tape recorder', he was captivated by Drake's soft but sure tones, allied to his intricate fingerpicking guitar. 'I think the songs were I Was Made To Love Magic, Time Has Told Me and The Thoughts Of Mary Jane,' he says. 'From the first intro to the first song, I thought, 'Whoa, this is different'.' I'm speaking to Boyd to mark the release of a beautifully curated box set, The Making Of Five Leaves Left, a treasure trove of demos, outtakes and live recordings. Advertisement Rounding it off is the finished product, Drake's debut album for Chris Blackwell's fabled Island Records pink label. Bob Dylan biopic is an immaculate portrayal of the grumpy singer's rise to fame - shame his women feel like complete unknowns In 2025, the singer's status as one of Britain's most cherished songwriters is assured. A troubled soul, Drake died aged 26 in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants, never enjoying commercial success in his lifetime, never knowing how much he would be appreciated. But Boyd, now 83, had no doubts about the rare talent that he first encountered in 1968. He picks up the story again: 'Ashley Hutchings, the Fairport Convention bass player, saw Nick playing at The Roundhouse [in Camden Town, North London] and was very impressed. Advertisement 'He handed me a slip of paper with a phone number on it and said, 'I think you'd better call this guy, he's special'. 'So I called and Nick picked up the phone. I said, 'Do you have a tape I could hear?'. He said, 'Yes'.' Boyd still didn't hold out too much hope, as he explains: 'I was very much a blues and jazz buff. I also liked Indian music. 'White middle-class guys with guitars were never that interesting to me — Bob Dylan being the exception that proves the rule. 5 John Boyd holding The Making Of Five Leaves Left, a treasure trove of demos, outtakes and live recordings Advertisement 'But Nick was something else. He wasn't really a folk singer at all.' Boyd describes Drake as a 'chansonnier', a French term for a poet singer who performs their own compositions, often drawing on the themes of love and nature. He says: 'I'm always a bit bemused when I go into a record store — one of the few left — and see Nick filed under folk. He's unclassifiable and that's one of the reasons he endures.' To Boyd, Drake's enduring appeal is also helped 'by the fact that he didn't succeed in the Sixties'. 'He never became part of that decade's soundtrack in the way Donovan or [Pentangle guitarist and solo artist] Bert Jansch did. Advertisement 'So he was cut loose from the moorings of his era, to be grabbed by succeeding generations.' Drake was born on June 19, 1948, in Rangoon, Burma [now Myanmar], to engineer father Rodney and amateur singer mother Molly. His older sister Gabrielle became a successful screen actress. When Nick was three, the family moved to Far Leys, a house at Tanworth-in-Arden, Warks, and it was there that his parents encouraged him to learn piano and compose songs. I'm always a bit bemused when I go into a record store — one of the few left — and see Nick filed under folk. He's unclassifiable and that's one of the reasons he endures. Joe Boyd Having listened to the home recordings of Molly, Boyd gives her much credit for her son's singular approach. He says: 'When you hear the way she shaped her strange chords on the piano and her sense of harmony, it seems that it was reverberating in Nick's mind.' Advertisement When Drake gave him those three demos, recorded in his room at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, Boyd 'called the next day and said, 'Come on in, let's talk'.' During the ensuing meeting, Drake said: 'I'd like to make a record.' He was offered a management, publishing and production contract. Just as importantly, he had found a mentor in Joe Boyd. What you hear on the box set is the musical journey leading up to the release of Five Leaves Left in July 1969. The set was sanctioned by the Estate Of Nick Drake, run on behalf of his sister Gabrielle by Cally Callomon, but only after two remarkable tapes were unearthed. Advertisement His first session with Boyd at Sound Techniques studio in March 1968 — found on a mono listening reel squirrelled away more than 50 years ago by Beverley Martyn, a singer and the late John Martyn's ex-wife. A full reel recorded at Caius College by Drake's Cambridge acquaintance Paul de Rivaz. It had gathered dust in the bottom of a drawer for decades. Boyd says: 'I have never been a big enthusiast for these endless sets of demos and outtakes — so I was highly sceptical about this project. 'But when my wife and I were sent the files a few months ago, we sat down one evening and listened through all four discs. 'I was tremendously moved by Nick. You can picture the scene of him arriving for the first time at Sound Techniques. 'This is what he's been working for. He's got his record deal and here he is in the studio. I was stunned.' 5 Five Leaves Left was released in 1969 Advertisement In pristine sound quality, the first disc begins with Boyd saying, 'OK, here we go, whatever it is, take one.' Drake then sings the outtake followed by some of his best-loved songs — Time Has Told Me, Saturday Sun, Day Is Done among them. It's just man and guitar, recorded before musicians such as Pentangle's double bass player Danny Thompson and Fairport Convention's guitarist Richard Thompson (no relation) were drafted in. Boyd continues: 'The trigger for those recordings, that first day in the studio, was wanting our wonderful engineer John Wood to get a feel for Nick's sound. 'Nick was wide awake and on it. He was excited about being in a studio and he wanted to impress.' Advertisement All these years later, one song in particular caught Boyd's attention — Day Is Done. 'He takes it more slowly than the final version. This gives him time to add more nuance and the singing is so good.' Back then, as Five Leaves Left took shape, Boyd witnessed the sophisticated way Drake employed strings, oboe and flute. Inspired by subtle orchestrations on Leonard Cohen's debut album, Boyd had drafted in arranger Richard Hewson but it didn't work out. 'It was nice, but it wasn't Nick,' he affirms. Advertisement When Drake suggested his Cambridge friend Robert Kirby, a Baroque music scholar, everything fell into place. Boyd says: 'Nick had already been engaging with Robert about using a string quartet but had been hesitant about putting his ideas forward.' SUBTLE ORCHESTRATIONS The producer also recalls being 'fascinated by the lyrics — the work of a literate guy'. 'I don't want to sound elitist but Nick was well educated. British public school [Marlborough College] and he got into Cambridge. 'Gabrielle told me he didn't like the romantic poets much. But you feel that he's very aware of British poetry history.' Advertisement This is evident in the first lines of the opening song on Five Leaves Left — 'Time has told me/You're a rare, rare find/A troubled cure for a troubled mind.' 'When I think about Nick, I think about the painting, The Death Of Chatterton,' says Boyd. 'Chatterton was a young romantic British poet who died, I think, by suicide. You see him sprawled out across a bed.' I ask Boyd how aware he was of Drake's struggles with his mental health. 'It's a tricky question because I was aware that he was very shy,' he answers. 'Who knew what was going on with him and girls?' Boyd believes there was a time when Drake was better able to enjoy life's pleasures. Advertisement 'When you read of his adventures in the south of France and in Morocco, it seems he was more relaxed and joyful. 5 Drake at home with mother Molly and sister Gabrielle 'And when I went up to Cambridge to meet Nick and Robert Kirby before we did the first session, he was in a dorm. 'There were friends walking in and out of the room. There was a lot of life around him.' Boyd says things changed when 'Nick told me he wanted to leave Cambridge and move to London. Advertisement 'I agreed to give him a monthly stipend to help him survive. He rented a bedsit in Hampstead — you could do that in those days. 'Nick started smoking a lot of hashish and didn't seem to see many people. I definitely noticed a difference. 'He'd been at Marlborough, he'd been at Cambridge and suddenly he's on his own, smoking dope, practising the guitar, going out for a curry, coming back to the guitar some more. He became more and more isolated and closed off'. Boyd describes how Drake found live performance an almost unbearable challenge. He says: 'He had different tunings for every song, which took a long time. He didn't have jokes. So he'd lose his audience and get discouraged.' Advertisement 'It still haunts me that I left the UK' For Drake's next album, Bryter Layter, recorded in 1970 and released in 1971, Boyd remained in charge of production. Despite all the albums he's worked on, including REM's Fables Of The Reconstruction and Kate and Anna McGarrigle's classic debut, he lists Bryter Layter as a clear favourite. It bears the poetic masterpiece Northern Sky with its heartrending opening line – 'I never felt magic crazy as this.' Boyd says: 'I can drop the needle and relax, knowing that John Wood and I did the best we could.' However, he adds that it still 'haunts me that I left for a job with Warner Bros in California after that. I was very burnt out and didn't appreciate how much Nick may have been affected by my leaving'. Advertisement Drake responded to Boyd's departure by saying, 'The next record is just for guitar and voice, anyway'. Boyd continues: 'So I said, 'Well, you don't need me any more. You can do that with John Wood'.' When he was sent a test pressing of 1972's stripped-back Pink Moon, he recalls being 'slightly horrified'. 'I thought it would end Nick's chances of commercial success. It's ironic that it now sells more than his other two.' Then, roughly a year after leaving the UK, Boyd got a worried call from Drake's mum. 'Molly said she had urged Nick to see a psychiatrist because he had been struggling,' he says, with sadness, 'and that he had been prescribed antidepressants. Advertisement 'I know Nick was hesitant to take them. He felt people would judge him as crazy — a typically British response.' Boyd again uses the word 'haunting' when recalling the transatlantic phone call he made to Drake. 'I said, 'There's nothing shameful about taking medicine when you've got a problem'. I know Nick was hesitant to take them [antidepressants]. He felt people would judge him as crazy — a typically British response Joe Boyd 'But I think antidepressant dosages were way higher in those days than they became. 'Doctors didn't appreciate the rollercoaster effect — how you could get to a peak of elation and freedom, then suddenly plunge back into depression. Advertisement 'Who knows but it might have contributed to the feeling of despair Nick felt the night he took all those extra pills.' 5 Boyd says of Drake: 'He's unclassifiable and that's one of the reasons he endures' Drake died at home in Warwickshire during the early hours of November 25, 1974. As for Boyd, he made a lasting commitment to the singer who had such a profound effect on him. He says: 'When I left, I gave my company to Chris Blackwell because there were more debts than assets — and he agreed to take on the debts. 'But I said, 'I want it written in the contract that you cannot delete Nick Drake. Those records have to stay. Advertisement 'I just knew that one day people would get him.'
Extra.ie
3 hours ago
- Extra.ie
In Pics: Young Offenders stars reunite at special screening of new Irish film Christy
Young Offenders actors Chris Walley and Alex Murphy are as inseparable off-screen as their mischievous characters Jock and Conor. The pair reunited at a special screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin this week. Christy is the joyous debut feature from Cork director Brendan Canty. Alex Murphy and Chris Walley at the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy The film is a heartwarming story of second chances, connection and finding your place in the world. It focuses on 17-year-old Christy who is at a crossroads in life. After being kicked out of his suburban foster home, he moves in with his estranged older brother Shane and his young family. Director Brendan Canty at the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy As far as Shane is concerned this is a temporary arrangement, but Christy begins to feel at home on Cork's working-class Northside. As he makes friends and begins to let the community in, he also reconnects with his past through his seemingly more corrupting extended family, despite Shane's efforts to protect him. Danny Power at the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy Shane wants something better for Christy at any cost – even if it means he has to push him away. As the brothers look to reconcile their turbulent past, their family and the community around them offer hope for Christy's future. Christy stars breakout talent Danny Power and Diarmuid Noyes. Diarmuid Noyes at the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy It also features an Irish ensemble including Chris Walley, Alison Oliver, Emma Willis and Helen Behan. Emma Willis at the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy The Kabin Studio, a Cork-based community arts collective known for its work in hip-hop and spoken word, make an appearance in Christy. Kabin Studio member Sophia McNamara performs ahead of the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy In 2024, The Kabin Crew's viral hit The Spark, recorded in collaboration with Lisdoonvarna Crew, amassed more than 1billion views. Actor Alex Murphy with Kabin Studio member Jamie Forde at the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy Christy recently won Best Irish Feature Film at the Galway Film Fleadh. Director Brendan Canty and actor Danny Power at the special preview screening of Christy at the Light House Cinema in Dublin. Pic: Brian McEvoy Christy opens in cinemas across Ireland on August 29.
