Gael force: Kneecap put best foot forward for weekend's IFTA and BAFTA awards 

Kneecap are playing two gigs in Cork before heading to Dublin and London for major awards ceremonies in which they've received multiple nominations 

Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí of Kneecap, in Cork, with the 'Ceasefire Now' sign in the background on Connolly Hall.  Picture: Chani Anderson

 The red carpet of the Irish Film and TV Awards (IFTAs) will be littered with the likes of Cillian Murphy and Saoirse Ronan on Friday, but even those actors' star power will struggle to eclipse this year’s main men. 

Kneecap the movie has been nominated for an incredible 17 awards, including Lead Actor nominations for each of the rap group’s three members, Supporting Actor for Michael Fassbender, and Film Director for Rich Peppiatt.

The Belfast trio are sure to bring their trademark mix of raucous energy and sharp political awareness to proceedings at Dublin Royal Convention Centre. That event forms part of a hectic weekend for the group which will also have them jetting to London for Sunday’s BAFTA awards, in which they’ve been nominated in six categories.

Kneecap have also recently been filming a TV show in the Arctic Circle, added a new December date at 3Arena in Dublin following the sell-out of the original gig, and are playing two capacity gigs at Cork City Hall this week. Quite the year. 

“It’s been mad indeed, but fun as well,” says Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, aka Mo Chara, who’s been strutting the Cork City Hall stage alongside fellow rapper Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and DJ Próvaí (JJ Ó Dochartaigh).

Naoise Ó Cairealláin, aka Móglaí Bap, from Kneecap, pictured in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson

The group admit they’ve been blown away by the success of the Irish-language comedy that had its premiere at the prestigious Sundance festival in Utah last year, but they’re particularly delighted that the film’s core message seems to have had an effect.

“For us, the cultural impact means a lot more to us than the awards,” says Ó Caireallain. “People in Ireland learning their own language because of it... that’s what the movie is about, really.”

Indeed the ‘Kneecap effect’ has been hailed in some quarters as prompting a mini-revival of Irish among a younger demographic who hadn’t engaged with traditional teaching methods.

“You can now buy drugs in Irish in Belfast,” says Ó Caireallain, whose raps include words such as ‘snaois’ (originally the word for snuff, but now also slang for cocaine). “When the language is seeping into the black market, it’s a good sign!”

Eileen Walsh  and Cillian Murphy in Small Things Like These. 

Ó Caireallain has strong Cork links, having lived in the city for a year when he studied Recreation and Leisure Management at the then CIT college, and he has played on the county’s hurling fields with Na Piarsaigh.

He’ll again be facing off with Leesiders at the IFTAs. Both Cillian Murphy and Eileen Walsh feature among the 10 nominations received by Small Things Like These, while Douglas man John Crowley is a contender in the Film Director category for We Live in Time, which starred Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.

 Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun. 

Kneecap should probably be thankful they don’t have to compete in the particularly strong Lead Actress category, with Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun) a possible frontrunner ahead of Walsh (Small Things) and Killarney star Jessie Buckley (Wicked Little Letters).

Cavan comedian Kevin McGahern is on hosting duties for this year’s IFTAs, and highlights of the ceremony will be broadcast on Saturday on RTÉ One.