
How Kneecap became most controversial band in the UK
Kneecap are no strangers to controversy. They rap about drugs – and are named for the notorious punishment meted out by the IRA at the height of the Troubles to drug dealers, while one of the trio wears a tricolour balaclava.
But for their fans – especially those 'ceasefire babies' who, like them, grew up in the aftermath of the Good Friday agreement – they are a breath of fresh air. They play with Republican imagery – often mocking it – but are staunch in their nationalism, explains the Guardian's Ireland correspondent, Rory Carroll. A semi-fictionalised film about their origins won a Bafta. And they have won more praise and fans for their unusual and political choice to rap in Irish.
The Irish writer and editor Roisin Lanigan tells Michael Safi what that means. 'Irish has always been so denigrated,' she says, that hearing it used in hip-hop 'does feel important and just cool – I didn't realise that Irish could sound like that'.
But this year Kneecap have found themselves in a storm more intense than any they have weathered before. Last month the trio played Coachella and led the US crowd in chants of 'Free Palestine', making clear their view that Israel is committing genocide. Afterwards older clips from concerts emerged of band members appearing to shout out support of Hamas and Hezbollah, and call for the deaths of Conservative MPs. Counter-terrorism police have confirmed they are now investigating the band.
Now politicians have condemned the band and even called for them to be dropped from festivals. In response, musicians from Pulp to Massive Attack have written a furious response saying politicians should not be interfering in musical expression. Meanwhile the hip-hop stars and their manager have said the attacks are confected by those who want to demonise them, and that this is a deliberate distraction from the plight of people in Gaza.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
'There is no Plan B': Republicans make a daring bet on the debt limit
WASHINGTON — As Republicans barrel toward a critical deadline this summer to lift the debt ceiling, they say there's no 'Plan B' to avert an economically disastrous default if they fail to pass the massive bill for President Donald Trump's agenda in time. Congressional Republicans are eyeing increasing the debt limit by $4 trillion to $5 trillion so the government can keep borrowing to meet the country's obligations. It's part of their broader domestic policy package, which the Senate needs to pass before it can go back through the House and ultimately to Trump's desk for his signature. And the GOP only has three votes to spare in both chambers. 'There is no Plan B,' Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday when asked by NBC News if he has a backup plan for the debt limit. 'It's Plan A. We have to get it done. Failure is not an option.' It's a risky gamble by GOP leaders, who are putting all their chips on passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by the debt ceiling deadline. 'We're going to get reconciliation done,' Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said when asked what the party's fallback plan is on the debt ceiling. (Reconciliation refers to the budget process Republicans are using to pass their bill, which allows them to bypass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate and cut Democrats out of the process.) The Treasury Department has urged Congress to raise the debt ceiling "by mid-July" to safely avoid default. The Congressional Budget Office projected this week that the deadline may be later, 'between mid-August and the end of September,' although that won't be official unless the Treasury Department agrees. If Republicans fail to pass their sprawling bill in time, they would need to negotiate with Democrats to pass a standalone debt limit extension through the 60-vote process in the Se nate. But there have been no negotiations between party leaders on that front, according to Republican and Democratic aides with knowledge of the dynamics. One GOP aide said the party is 'full steam ahead on Plan A' and suggested there may still be time to consider a fallback if they absolutely need to. Some Republicans say it's a deliberate tactic to drive up the urgency of passing their filibuster-proof bill. 'We should be set an expectation that we're getting this done in July, and it includes the debt ceiling,' said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. 'I think the minute you start talking about a backup plan, you're going to have a backup plan.' If Republican leaders eventually decide they want to cut a bipartisan deal on the debt ceiling, it's unclear what — if anything — Democrats would demand. Some, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, and Rep. Brendan Boyle, of Pennsylvania., have insisted on abolishing the debt limit entirely in order to prevent the full faith and credit of the United States from being used as leverage in policy negotiations. That's an idea Trump recently endorsed. 'I am very pleased to announce that, after all of these years, I agree with Senator Elizabeth Warren on SOMETHING,' Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. 'The Debt Limit should be entirely scrapped to prevent an Economic catastrophe.' But there's scant support within the GOP for it, as Republicans have found success using it to extract concessions from Democratic presidents in the past. There's no indication that Democrats would respond in kind this year if Republicans came to them and asked for their votes on the debt ceiling. 'I'm not debating hypotheticals,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said when asked what he'd want in exchange.


Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Shameless star made OBE says Prince of Wales joked about her playing Elizabeth I
Shameless star Anne-Marie Duff said she and the Prince of Wales laughed about her previous role playing Elizabeth I as she was formally made an OBE. Ms Duff, 54, played Fiona Gallagher in Channel 4's Shameless TV show and won a best supporting actress Bafta for her role as Grace Williams in Apple TV's series Bad Sisters. The actor also performed as Elizabeth I in the 2005 to 2006 BBC dramatisation of the monarch's life, titled The Virgin Queen. Discussing that role led William to joke 'this should all be old hat for you, or something' during Wednesday's ceremony at Windsor Castle, Ms Duff said. The actor spoke to the PA news agency inside the Berkshire royal residence after being formally made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama. Asked if the event had been as expected having played Elizabeth I, she said: '(Windsor Castle) is like a treasure chest, isn't it? Because every piece of every room is swollen with history and art and value, so it's very specific. 'To be in this environment where people do live and do sit down and have their dinner and all of those things – you know, when you're on location, you don't really have that feeling of something like that, but this is someone's home, which is just extraordinary to me.' The Virgin Queen was not filmed at royal residences for security reasons, she said. Ms Duff lives in north London and has a son with her former husband and Shameless co-star James McAvoy. She said she and the Prince of Wales discussed balancing work and parenting and 'how we're all kind of the same'. Her next guaranteed job is not until 2026 and she said she cannot talk about other projects that may pop up before then. 'There's so much nonsense now, you can't even read scripts now without NDAs (non-disclosure agreements)', she said. 'The streamers are like old Hollywood studios, it's like that, it's so bonkers, so you don't get to sort of enjoy the prelude to things with people – you can't say, oh my god, yeah, I'm going to be doing (this). You have to keep everything on the down-low.' She laughed as she said: 'I would love to tell you, Your Royal Highness, but … ' 'There are snipers everywhere, that's what it feels like, seriously, the walls have ears', she added. Ms Duff said a play would be the 'juiciest' next project for her because she prefers the 'communion with people' in theatre, as well as the immediacy and 'being in charge of the chronology'. She said she discussed her preference for the stage with William. She told PA: 'If a light bulb blows, we still go on. It's all of that and the jeopardy of it – when things go wrong, you become so resourceful and having each other's back as a company.' Asked how she felt after being formally made an OBE, Ms Duff said: 'Fabulous, really lucky. You never imagine that – I think especially for people who work in the arts – you never really have a sense of what you do as having a great deal of importance or being a contribution to anything. 'You're just so busy working away. It feels extraordinary to be recognised.'


South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
UK Government's £50m pledge for Casement Park an enormous step forward – O'Neill
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly responded by stating that sport across Northern Ireland is 'crying out for financial support'. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn confirmed that the £50 million is ringfenced for the rebuild of the west Belfast GAA stadium and cannot be spent on other projects by the Stormont Executive. The money was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review, which outlines the UK Government's spending plans over the coming years. Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said it is 'past time for the redevelopment of this historic venue to get under way'. Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap of around £150 million. Today marks a significant step forward in the redevelopment of Casement Park, as the British government joins the Executive, the Irish government, and the GAA in committing funding. In every meeting I've had with the British government, I've made the case for funding Casement… — Michelle O'Neill (@moneillsf) June 11, 2025 The Government announcement includes £50 million over four years to support the currently derelict stadium being developed. Ms O'Neill said: 'Casement Park is an Executive flagship project and is more than just a sporting venue, it will serve as an economic driver for the surrounding communities and region, creating jobs and attracting investment. 'Today's commitment of substantial funding from the British Government marks an enormous step forward. It is time for all of us to pull together to now get Casement built.' Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football's Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill. While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents. The estimated build cost spiralled in the interim. Last September the UK Government ended hopes that the west Belfast venue would host Euro 2028 games, when it said it would not bridge a funding gap to deliver the redevelopment in time. As well as the Stormont contribution of £62.5 million, the Irish government has offered roughly £42 million and the GAA has pledged to contribute at least £15 million. It has been reported that the cost of the project has fallen to £270 million since it was confirmed the ground would not host Euros matches. Under current plans and including the £50 million from Wednesday's announcement, the funding shortfall stands at roughly £100 million. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said it was now up to the Stormont Executive to do work on updating plans and costings for the Casement project. He said: 'We will look at those proposals to support them as best we can.' The DUP's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has previously said that any additional money for sporting infrastructure in Northern Ireland had to be delivered on a fair and equitable basis. Ms Little-Pengelly said: 'It'll be over to the GAA in terms of the way forward on that, but from our point of view, it's very much about trying to ensure in an inclusive way that there is fairness right across the needs of all of our sports.' Asked if the £50 million could be spent on other Executive sporting projects, Mr Benn said: 'It is the bottom line. 'This is £50 million for Casement Park, it is ringfenced for that purpose.' He added: 'This is an Executive commitment, it dates from 2011. 'Three stadia – Windsor Park, Ravenhill, Casement Park, three great sporting codes. 'Two of them have been done and Casement Park has not been done. 'We all want to see it completed. 'It is worth looking at how much the UK Government has given directly to football, rugby, sport, leisure and other things over the past four-and-a-bit years, it amounts to £47 million, and a very small bit of that, £1.1 million, went to two projects supported by the GAA. 'We're balancing out what has been the contribution to football, rugby, other sports and leisure over the last four years because I think everyone wants to see the Casement Park project completed.' GAA president Jarlath Burns said it was an 'important and significant' investment from the UK Government. He added: 'We know, however, that this is not the final piece of jigsaw and there is much more work to do. 'The GAA will engage directly with the NI Executive and the Department for Communities to ensure that all parties actively pursue, and secure, a full funding package that will deliver upon the GAA's strategic stadium need.' Ms Reeves' announcement was also welcomed by the Irish government. Deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris said Dublin had long supported the redevelopment of Casement Park as a 'landmark sports infrastructure project'. Mr Harris said: 'In February 2024, we made an early commitment from the Shared Island initiative of up to 50 million euro (£42 million) for the redevelopment of Casement. 'We underlined our commitment at that time to support the GAA in progressing this project in partnership with the UK and NI authorities. 'I will now engage with all these partners to deliver a redeveloped stadium. 'The last match hosted in Casement was well over a decade ago and it is past time for the redevelopment of this historic venue to get under way.'