From the late 1960s to 1998, the Troubles wreaked havoc across Northern Ireland. An ethno-nationalist conflict between those who wanted to join the United Kingdom and those who wanted independence, it wasn’t necessarily religious but often fell along historical lines dividing Protestants and Catholics. The Troubles brought violence and brutality to areas in and outside Northern Ireland, resulting in shootings, bombings, assassinations and suppression of the Irish identity. While the conflict supposedly ended in 1998 with Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK, tensions and debate over Irish reunification continue nearly three decades later.
In 2017, Kneecap, a radical republican hip-hop group that raps in a blend of English and Irish, burst onto the scene. The trio’s music explodes with intensity as they sing about Irish nationalism, police brutality and drug use. The timing of the band’s rise is no coincidence — their first single, “C.E.A.R.T.A,” was based on one of the members’ experiences at a march for the Irish Language Act. Radio stations refused to play the song due to its explicit nature (it includes numerous references to sex and drugs), but fans across the country gathered signatures to get it back on-air.
The controversy surrounding the group comes from their radicalism as well as their image. Kneecap embraces Gaelic identity and street culture, defending their controversial hits as relatable and satirical depictions of life for youth in west Belfast. In the song “3CAG,” band members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin rap “Tá mé dul a bheith chomh hard inniu / Mar níl aon rud I’d rather do,” which translates into “I’m going to be so high today / because there’s nothing else I’d rather do.” Even the title of the song “3CAG” is a reference to MDMA as it stands for the Irish translation of “three consonants and a vowel.” Members of the group don balaclavas, associated with the IRA, and the group is transparent about their affinity for drugs. They refer to their fans as “Fenians,” a derogatory term used against Irish Catholics and largely associated with advocates of Irish reunification, in an effort to reclaim the word. Kneecap’s biggest impact comes from how they bring the Irish language and culture to younger generations decades after the end of The Troubles.
After their commercial success in the Irish music scene, the group made the bold decision to write and star in their own biopic. “Kneecap” combines the band’s origin story with greater political tensions in Northern Ireland. The film explores the backlash the group faced due to their explicit lyrics and endorsement of republicanism against a backdrop of tensions over the use of the Irish language. The main storyline spans across the band’s early beginnings and subsequent successes and controversies. There are flashbacks to the band members’ childhoods sprinkled in, exploring a (fictionalized) storyline about Naoise’s dad Arlo (Michael Fassbender, “Prometheus”), a vocal republican who faked his own death to avoid British authorities. Through these flashbacks, we can see how the Irish identity was a significant part of Naoise and Liam’s upbringing.
They learn Irish from Arlo, who reinforces the importance of resistance and pride. Through the main plot, viewers watch as Naoise and Liam are thrown unexpectedly into the world of music after meeting schoolteacher JJ Ó Dochartaigh (debut). As their journey as a hip-hop trio progresses, political tensions within Ireland constantly clash with the group’s aspirations, creating a compelling point of contention throughout the movie. Through Naoise, Liam and J.J., “Kneecap” takes on the unique view of the “ceasefire generation,” those who didn’t live through the Troubles but inherited the aftermath. The conflict was supposedly settled decades ago, but the experiences of the band members shown in the film prove that hostilities still remain between (and among) loyalists and nationalists.
“Kneecap” also heavily features the Irish language, making it the first Irish language film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film emphasizes the use of language as a source of social cohesion, ethnic pride and culture. In one of the first scenes (based on a real event), after getting arrested on drug charges, police officers command Liam to speak the “Queen’s English” in the police station. In response, he insists that he can only speak Irish, insulting the officers and resisting cooperation. In refusing to use the language of the colonizer, he puts himself at risk for further brutality. While the drug charges are warranted, it’s clear that he’s receiving harsher treatment from the police officers because of his refusal to speak English, but Liam only doubles down, refusing to comply. Throughout the rest of the movie, other band members have the same attitude — the Irish language is something to preserve and be proud of, even in the face of violence.
Beyond its use of the Irish language, the band members further embrace telling their own story through playing themselves in the film. It’s uncommon for celebrities to star in their own biopics, and instead, they’re often portrayed by lookalike big-name actors. Despite this, there’s something to be said about people playing themselves. It adds a layer of authenticity to the story often missing from the more common, glossy, high-budget productions and forges a stronger connection between the audience and the subject. We know that this is the story the band wanted to tell because they’re the ones telling it. By starring in their biopic, Kneecap also reaffirms the importance of language and self-agency. They share their experiences growing up in turbulent, post-Troubles Belfast and the importance of the Irish identity to them, and they do so in their own language. By doing so, they demonstrate their pride and their ability to take control of their narrative, despite ongoing political and cultural tensions.
Language is vital to human existence. It’s a way for us to communicate and foster a sense of community and identity. The film closes off with Hannaidh declaring: “Stories are built from language. Nations are built from stories. This is our story.” The statement is accompanied by a statistic informing viewers that every 40 days, an indigenous language across the globe dies. Bringing attention to the plight of endangered languages as a whole emphasizes the film’s wider goal of advocating for linguistic preservation. At a time when only 10% of Irish people can speak the language “very well,” Kneecap’s efforts to bring Irish to mainstream media are ever more pertinent. The band’s commitment to being authentically themselves inspires younger generations to see Irish as relevant to their daily lives and as an important part of contemporary culture. Using mediums such as film and hip-hop music to showcase Irish as rebellious and modern, the trio can have a significant influence on the preservation of endangered languages. Beyond that, the band’s work secures its place in history as evidence of the importance of cultural pride and its relationship with art. By pushing the conventional ideas of Irish identity, Kneecap has the potential to revitalize the language and serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving one’s identity.
Daily Arts Writer Isabelle Perraut can be reached at iperraut@umich.edu and Daily Arts Contributor Caroline Nowik at cnowik@umich.edu.
