Watch: Kabin Crew bring The Spark to Cork City's St Patrick's Day parade
Even seen better grand marshals? I doubt it. Everybody in the crowd was bouncing — even the Taoiseach.
Buzzing with energy and enthusiasm, the inspirational Kabin Crew kids behind the viral hit of 2024 brought their unique spark onto the streets of their hometown on Monday as they led Cork City’s St Patrick's Day parade.
The youth rap collective from Knocknaheeny were chosen as parade grand marshals in recognition not just of the viral success of their drum and bass banger, , which catapulted them to a global audience last summer, but for their incredible impact over the past decade.
They have made their suburb, once tagged as one of the most deprived parts of the city, famous for all the right reasons.
They were joined by their parents at the head of the parade and performed all the way as up to 50,000 people lined the route and cheered them from South Mall to Merchant’s Quay.
rap anthem was recorded with the Lisdoonvarna Crew, kids from a direct provision centre for asylum seekers in Clare, and its infectious rhythm and powerful message resonated with audiences worldwide and became a viral sensation, amassing over two billion views on social media and 52 million streams worldwide.
It was longlisted for the 2025 Grammy Awards in two categories — best dance/electronic recording and the prestigious song of the year. It’s been used by the Teletubbies on their TikTok channel, the Kabin Crew were visited by YouTube star jacksepticeye, they were Becky Hill’s guests on stage during her summer gig at Musgrave Park, and they’ve been invited to perform at music festivals such as Electric Picnic, All Together Now, and Pukkelpop in Belgium.
Founded in Knocknaheeny in 2012 by music producer Garry McCarthy, The Kabin Studio has over the years become a beacon for youth creativity — empowering young people and showcasing their talents.
“For the past 13 years, we’ve been building something special in Knocknaheeny, and to now have the opportunity to bring that spark into the heart of the city at such a big, positive event is a huge moment for us. It’s a chance for everyone to see the amazing characters, performers, and vibrant community that make The Kabin what it is," Garry said.
Luke Origins, 19, from Farranree, has been part of The Kabin Crew for about six years.
“It’s a wild unbelievable thing. When blew up last year I was thinking ‘this is going to get out of control’, and it did. We were all over the shop last summer – All Together Now in Waterford, Beyond the Pale in Wicklow, we were at Electric Picnic then at a music festival in Belgium the next day, it was mad,” he said.
Róisín Cullinane, 17, from Knocknaheeny, said she is so proud of what everyone involved has achieved over the last few years.
“But especially the kids involved in The Spark – seeing them grow in confidence, it’s just phenomenal,” she said.
Kada Rrudhani, 11, who is originally from Kosovo and who was part of the Lisdoonvarna Crew, said being involved in the collective has changed her life.
“Almost all my country now knows about me. My grandma told everybody about us because she was so happy for us. They are just so proud of us,” she said.
Organised by Cork City Council, the parade was themed ‘Building A Better World’, and featured almost 3,000 participants in 57 groups, including marching bands and dance troupes, sports clubs and community groups, representing the cultural diversity in the city.
There was a special moment when The Kabin Crew performed The Spark for the VIP guests on the Cork City Children’s Hospital Club stand on St Patrick’s St, before they performed again for dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor, Dan Boyle, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, on the main stage near St Patrick’s Bridge. The Taoiseach described them as “wonderful ambassadors for the city”.
“I just love them. They are uniquely Cork. They are an extraordinary group and community that have done so much for music, for Knocknaheeney, for young people in general, and for Cork,” he said.
Three professional art groups added to the spectacle with large-scale floats.
Cork Community Art Link’s float was a collaborative improvisation featuring members of Ballyvolane Hub, Cope Foundation, CAP, National Learning Network, Simon Community, Headway and the Cork Volunteer Centre.
The Cork Puppetry Festival float featured a giant Saint Patrick and a DJ monk pushing a Gaelic cross, followed by four gigantic snakes.
Two mythical creatures, St Finbarr’s dragon and its Croc-A-Loc friend, were the centre-piece of the Spraoi float, which was herded by a co-operative of fearsome-beast farmers, straining with ropes and shackles to keep the audience safe.
Among the parade participants were the Defence Forces Band 1 Brigade, the Barrack Street Band, the Rebel Wheelers, MTU’s Carnival Samba group, the Cork Wolfpack and inline hockey group, the Rising Sun School of Karate, the Sanctuary Runners, and Cycling for All Cork, the group of tandem bike pilots who promote cycling for all.
Among the international groups pumping out the marching tunes were The High School Spartan Legion Marching Band from Colorado, and Batala, the international Samba group collective.
Also celebrating their culture and traditions were members of the Ukrainian choir Kalyna, the award-winning Indian dance troupe, Aatma Dance, founded in Cork in 2018, and the Cork Nepalese Community.
TVG, the Traveller group, made their first appearance at the parade in several years, while Briskwalkers Cork, the inclusive running and walking club for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, made their first appearance in the parade.
You can re-watch the parade below:
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