Schoolgirl rapper wows O2 in the Park crowd

A 12-year-old rapper wowed the 100,000-strong crowd tonight at Ireland’s largest free concert.

Krisma, whose real name is Kirstie McCarthy, performed her rap about the social injustice suffered by inner city children at the 02 in the Park gig.

“It was brilliant,” she said afterwards. “I get more nervous in front of smaller crowds actually.”

The young artist has been writing lyrics and rapping for over two years and will be releasing her debut single ’It Ain’t Right’ on the Universal Records label in mid-October.

She said she enjoyed meeting some of the other performers backstage, such as Hazel Kaneswaren.

The free concert in the Phoenix Park was presented by Fran Cosgrave of Celebrity Love Island fame, fashion journalist Caroline Morahan and Big Brother’s Brian Dowling.

The acts included the Sawdoctors, who had to be given a VIP escort by gardaí to ensure they reached the park on time after jetting back from concerts in Europe.

Other acts included Tabby, Tyler James and Triple 8. The organisers estimated that close to 100,000 people turned up for the non-stop music bonanza which began when the gates opened at 11am.

“It’s been a great concert, we’ve had Lee Ryan from Blue, Charlotte Church and Lemarr,” said a spokeswoman.

The stage was one of the biggest erected for a music event in the Phoenix Park with 20,000ft of cable, 20 articulated lorries, over 500 crew and three miles of fencing used to set up the event.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce have estimated the free concert, which allocated tickets to fans through the phone company O2’s website and RTÉ 2fm, will be worth around €11.5m to the city.