Think you can stop what they do? Meet the kids behind viral hit The Spark

Members of the Kabin Studio, a non-profit organisation on Cork city's northside, collaborated with the Lisdoonvarna crew for what is being described as the feelgood song of summer

The Kabin Crew from Hollyhill and The Lisdoonvarna Crew who joined Becky Hill in concert at Virgin Media Park, Cork . Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Think you can stop what they do? I doubt it!

It is the viral hit smash of the summer — and the group of kids being 'The Spark' are showing no signs of slowing down.

Members of the Kabin Studio, a non-profit organisation on Cork city's northside dedicated to nurturing young musical talent, collaborated with the Lisdoonvarna crew for what is being described as the feelgood song of summer. ‘The Spark’, was initially released to promote the Creative Ireland Programme and Cruinniú nan Óg which promotes creativity in young people.

Shot in some familiar Cork locations including the 202 bus, the video has racked up millions of views online, capturing the attention of stars like British singer Becky Hill, who recently performed with the youngsters at Virgin Media Park.

Aged between nine and 13, the children performed in front of 15,000 people. While this was undoubtedly a transformative experience for many of the kids involved, one girl described how the Kabin had been changing lives for years already.

Zoey Hourihan Dennehy will be among members of the Kabin who are preparing to perform alongside the Lisdoonvarna crew at the Kaleidoscope festival in Wicklow this Friday, June 28 and June 30. Some 20,000 festival-goers are set to turn out for the event. Zoey recalled how the Kabin became a saving grace at a time when homeschooling had left her without any steady friendships.

Zoey Hourihan Dennehy. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

The 11-year-old had been travelling around the world with her mother, Chenelle Dennehy, to locations including Greece, Malta, and Miami. She had wanted to show her daughter the world from a young age through her job as an au pair.

The family spent intervals at home where Zoey was able to attend mainstream school at Rockboro National School. However, when the school failed to reopen in September of 2023 she found herself separated from friends once again. Luckily, the Kabin provided her with the friendships she had so longed for.

It was her friends at the Kabin workshop who restored her sense of belonging. She puts her confidence down to the support of the group which has led her to blossom in Scoil Aiséirí Chríost, Farranree. She enrolled at the school last September and is thriving, particularly in school plays and performance opportunities. The schoolgirl admits there was a time when she could only dream of sustaining friendships like the ones she has today.

“The Kabin really helped me socialise because I haven’t done that in ages,” she told the Irish Examiner. 

"Every friend that I made had to go away again. It helped me make friends and express my emotions. They helped me write my own songs. I had a great time and I felt comfortable. I know that I can talk to any of the kids in the Kabin without causing a fight. They don’t give out to you. They don’t do any of that. They just listen to what you’re saying. 

The Kabin changed my life. I feel happy and overwhelmed. My life would be so different without them. I wouldn’t be able to do plays or songs. I never in my life imagined that I would have been able to write my own songs.”

 Chenelle spoke of how far Zoey has come since joining the Kabin in 2022.

“We did a lot of homeschooling with an online teacher. She would be online in America at 7am while the teacher was in a completely different time zone. It was important to me as a mum that she was included when she came home to Cork. Homeschooling for Zoey was interesting in many ways. She was learning about different cultures and being assigned projects specific to the country she was in.” 

Nonetheless, Zoey couldn’t help but wonder if there was some missing.

“She was seeing her cousins with best friends and going on playdates,” Chenelle said. 

11-year-old Zoey Hourihan Dennehy with her mother, Chenelle, at their home in Farranree, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan

“We were away from home so much that Zoey never had that. It was important to me that she was included when we were home and the Kabin made that happen. They have given her that friends network she didn’t have before. Zoey has people she can call on and let in on secrets that she wouldn’t be able to tell her mum and dad.” 

Zoey admits it was lonely at times.

“It’s not a nice feeling. I did have one friend while I was away who was close to me but she was older than me. When she started becoming interested in things for older children, we grew apart.” 

The young performer says she is getting better at expressing herself all the time.

“School is okay. Sometimes it can be frustrating but I like it because I have my play therapist. Her name is Bernie and she takes me every Friday at 9am. I can tell her things that I can’t tell my parents.” 

Chenelle spoke about how seeing Zoey perform with Becky Hill came as a proud moment for the family.

“She was so emotional after Becky Hill that she cried and another member of the group Róisín hugged her for five minutes. She held her that whole time. That bond is just so strong between them all.” 

'Positive experiences'

Meanwhile, Garry McCarthy of GMC Beats, who founded and runs the Kabin, hopes that they can benefit from a more sustainable model of funding in the years ahead.

“Views online mean very little to us. For us it’s all about the creative process,” Garry said.

 

Garry McCarthy, Creative Director at The Kabin Studio. Picture: Darragh Kane

“We have a duty of care to support the children going forward so it’s important to us that we give them as many positive experiences as possible. We hope this can help the Kabin in getting funding in the future or at least be put on a national or international radar. It’s important to us that the song doesn’t take away from what we are doing but instead builds on the existing support. It’s been a challenge finding that balance but we are working through it. We have had minimum funding in an area that might not have had best reputation over the last 30 or 40 years. 

"With the right people, funding and the passion to succeed you can achieve amazing things. 'The Spark' is just one of the class things to have come out of the Kabin. This one just happened to go viral. The fact that this is on an international stage reminds us of the real support we need from organisations and the government going forward to continue making this work. 

At the moment we are understaffed and overwhelmed with everything that is going on. It’s important that the kids are supported by the right tutors who really care about children.” 

He described how therapeutic the Kabin can be for children battling through difficult times.

“We’ve seen and heard it all through children’s lyrics. I guess we try to create a safe space for people where they can write and express themselves in whatever way they like without feeling like they are going to be judged. In the last year and a half, teenagers have been given more of a say about how the Kabin is run. We want them to find their voice, not just as artists but also as activists by getting them involved in projects in the community. This is more about making songs. It’s about building confidence and finding whatever it is a child is passionate about.” 

Lisdoonvarna crew

“Everyone at the hotel is very proud of us. We’ve done so much already. Now, we want other children to have the chance to sing.” 

The words of an excited 10-year-old Kada Rrudhani, who is a member of the Lisdoonvarna crew, still evoke emotion weeks on from their life-changing performance of hit single the Spark.

Kada and Treasure Onyinyechukwu Kanikwu are living proof that dreams can begin in the most unlikely of places.

Treasure Onyinyechukwu Kanikwu and Kada Rrudhani with the Lisdoonvarna Crew. Picture: Eamon Ward

‘The Spark’ continues to capture the hearts and imaginations of music lovers across Ireland and the world after amassing millions of views online. Treasure and Kada shed light on how the experience has changed their lives in the most magical way possible.

Treasure said that she and her friends who also reside at a direct provision centre in Lisdoonvarna, often enjoyed rapping together to pass the time.

A workshop from the Kabin Studio allowed them to take their ambition to the next level.

The pair are no strangers to the small screen and appeared with the Lisdoonvarna crew as part of a Late Late Show performance last year featuring a mash-up of songs from the Barbie movie.

Kada never believed the group would have another chance at fame.

“Our manager is the best. She called us and said that she wanted us to do a rap. We made it to the Late Late Toy Show. We gave it all our energy and afterwards hugged all the managers and bosses.” 

The 10-year-old said the experience has allowed her to dream big.

“After the Late Late Toy Show happened we thought it was all finished and that nothing as great as that would ever happen to us again. Then we did the Spark and there was so many likes and views for us. There has been such a big change in my life. It’s all our dreams to be a rapper or a singer and now that is happening. ” 

She is glad to now be a role model for other young children.

“It’s weird for us because we are used to seeing only adult people singing on these stages. I never thought it would be us. I would like to make it a deal that all the money we get we can give to charity. 

Every child in the world should have the chance to try whatever they want in life. The experience was so much fun. This has changed my life so much. It’s all our dreams to be a rapper or a singer. We are so proud of ourselves.” 

Kada revealed she was initially nervous.

“When we started it was so hard for us. We were scared that something was going to go wrong but nothing bad happened to us. We are so happy. I have so many dreams now. I used to tell my mum that I would grow up to be the best singer. Now, I have grown up this much and she is very proud of me.” 

The seasoned performer insists she is not finished yet.

“I’d like to be a gymnast and a singer. When people say I can’t do the two together I don’t listen to them. My big dream is to be on Britain’s Got Talent. I would also love to see my favourite singer in the world - Olivia Rodrigo - perform.” 

Treasure Onyinyechukwu Kanikwu and Kada Rrudhani. Picture: Eamon Ward

Treasure Onyinyechukwu Kanikwu is equally thrilled to see her star rising.

“We are always rapping but none of us ever thought that it could be more than a hobby," Treasure said. 

"Then the Kabin came to the hotel and we learned that we could write our own songs. The song is about our passion. One of the lyrics is “think you can stop what we do, I doubt it.” 

It makes sense because we all have these big dreams and no matter what people can’t stop we do.” 

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

She offered some sage advice to kids striving for careers in music.

“You should always try different passions even if everybody is telling you that you won’t get anywhere. Focus on your own thing.” 

She described how exposure to other cultures can inspire a creative mind.

“A lot of the time it is harder for some people than others to gain new friends. All of us here are like a family. We can learn from each other and pick up different languages and cultures and styles and that helps a lot.” 

The Lisdoonvarna crew will perform with the Kabin at family festival Kaleidoscope which takes place between June 28 and June 30.