RAPPERS Kneecap should be on the curriculum for the Leaving Certificate, Brian Kennedy has claimed.
The singer grew up on the same streets in Belfast as the controversial hip hop trio, who were mobbed by fans last week when they arrived at a court in London.
Lead singer Liam Og O hAnnaidh, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court accused of a terrorism offence — before being released on bail.
He is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November 2024.
But Brian believes the group could teach students both the Irish language and the history of the island through their rap songs.
Brian told The Irish Sun: “I think putting the lyrics and songs of Kneecap on the Leaving Cert would be a really clever way of speaking to a new generation.
“Kneecap are passionate about the Irish language. I want to see them live.”
Brian hopes he might meet Kneecap when he tours in new musical Moonlight: The Philip Lynott Enigma, which comes to UCH Limerick tomorrow night.
This comes just days after UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he does not think Kneecap’s planned Glastonbury Festival performance is “appropriate”.
Asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, Starmer replied: “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this.
“This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also voiced her disapproval of the band being platformed and said the BBC “should not be showing” Kneecap’s performance at the festival.
Badenoch said in the X post: “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda.
“One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act.
“As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”
Last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK Government in the Belfast High Court after Badenoch tried to refuse them a £14,250 (€16,640) funding award when she was a minister.
Kneecap took aim at her in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London’s Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician’s attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party’s election loss.
