Cad a cheapann sibh faoi Kneecap? Sin an cheist ar bhéal a lán Gaeilgeoirí na laethanta inniu. Tá grain agam ar an Late Late agus is fuath liom an ‘Rap,’ so ní rabhas ag éisteacht leo oíche Dé hAoine.
The main talking point was the fact that Kneecap managed to wear Palestinian fashion items on the show, which were apparently banned the week previously. The sporting of the gear mostly it seems evoked a positive response from both the live audience and those watching at home who took to the Twittersphere to comment.
Cé go raibh na Shinners – An Fhéasóg Mac Adhaimh san áireamh – brea sásta leis an méid sin, nílim cinnte go bhfuil DJ Provie agus na leaideanna ar an taobh sin maidir leis a dhearcadh polaitiúla. Mar cé go bhfuil íomhánna na Provies láidir in íomhá Móglaí agus na buachaillí; ainm an grúpa féin, an balaclava ar ndóigh agus araile, is ionann a teachtaireacht agus sean phort an fhíor eite clé.
Blás PBP níos laidir ná na Shinners b’feidir?
“There’s a lack of understanding about the systems that uphold class division, sectarianism and racism. It props up the powerful. Ireland is multicultural. It’s not a United Ireland just for the Irish”
“Up the Shankill! Up the Falls!” https://t.co/z9YzS7F9VB
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) January 30, 2024
I doubt somehow that the tedious declaration about class and “Ireland for everyone” is an original thought. The other slogan ‘Up the Shankill’ dates back to what I suspect is a much legendized retailing of what is alleged to have taken place at the IRA commemoration at Bodenstown in June 1934. This was at a time when Communist Party infiltration of the IRA had led to expulsions and the formation of the tiny Republican Congress group.
Ní raibh cead ag na cumannaithe a mbratacha nó a manaí a iompar ar an mórshiúl agus bhí ar Óglaigh dílseacht ó Thiobraid Árainn, faoi ordú ceannairí an IRA, bac a chuir leo. Tharla greas ansin idir na poblachtaigh agus na ‘reds.’ Is léir nach bhfuil an t-eolas cruinn ag Kneecap faoi stair an tréimhse sin, go háirithe ó thaobh na Trots mar bhí an dearg fuath ag na cumannaithe agus Congress maidir leis an dream sin.
That historical confusion is hardly surprising given all of the other contradictions that beset “left republicanism” these times. The main republican party, Sinn Féin, is happy to preside over the administration of part of Ireland through Stormont.
West Belfast, from whence Kneecap come and which Sinn Féin has basically governed for two generations, is among the very worst areas of deprivation in the entire United Kingdom, or in Ireland as a whole.
B’fhéidir go bhfuil Kneecap féin ceann de na torthaí a d’fhás as na fréamhacha sin? Tá méid mór daoine óg míshásta leis cad a tharla nuair a tháinig lá na Shinners Ach níl an phraiseach sin síos go hiomlán ag na Brits nó ar an gcaipitleachas. Agus gan aon amhras, níl na freagraí á fháil sa sean chóras cumannachais nó sa chultúr Angla Méiriceanach le blás Gaelach atá i bhfaobhar ar an eite chlé anois. Fiú amháin i fríth cultúr Chicago theas.
Agus sin thaobh eile den scéal. Is rud maith an Ghaeilge a bheith chun tosaigh sa pop cheol agus i ndíospóireachtaí. Is breá í a chloisteáil sa chomhtéacs sin, is cuma faoi dhearcadh Kneecap nó aon duine eile. Is meán cumarsáide í an Ghaeilge – ach is rud i bhfad níos tábhachtaí ná sin.
Bhíos ag comhrá le cainteoir dúchais ó Chorca Dhuibhne agus dúirt sí rud an0-suimiúil. Bhíomar ag caint faoi chanúintí Gaeilgeoirí ó cheantair lasmuigh de na Gaeltachtaí: an blás Baile Átha Cliath nó Béal Féirste mar shampla – mo chuid uafásach féin san áireamh. Bhíomar ag plé meon na ndaoine sin maidir le oidhreacht na Gaelann freisin.
Anyway, she said something very interesting. She was of course delighted that people, and seemingly in growing numbers, are embracing their own language, but she made the point that as with any other language it cannot be divorced from its own roots. And that extends far beyond grammar and the nósanna cainte that really only a “native” speaker can ever command.
When Douglas Hyde spoke in 1892 about the “Necessity of De-Anglicising Ireland,” he made a clear connection between the loss of the Irish language and the intellectual and cultural impoverishment of the Irish people.
Tá an teanga níos láidre anois. Tá an Gaelann ag i bhfad níos mó dhaoine ná mar a bhí céad bhliain ó shin, cé go bhfuil na Gaeltachtaí féin fós faoi bhrú. Ach tá gá leis an gceangal a choimeád idir an traidisiún na Gaelann agus an teanga mar meán na haimsire seo.
Tá an traidisiúin bheo i litríocht na Gaeilge agus sa cheol Gaelach. Ní i mbréag cultúr an rap agus an meon fríth daonna a bhaineann leis. Sin í mo thuairm ar aon nós.