Kneecap declines to comment on 'hypocrisy' accusation after call for right-wing event to be cancelled

The republican rap trio from Belfast has become known for speaking out against "censorship", and claim to be victim of it themselves.

As such, an MLA has accused them of displaying "pure hypocrisy" for joining a call to deplatform the event.

The story centres on an event called the Mise Eire (We Are Ireland) Festival that was due to be held at the Mayflower in the small Leitrim town of Drumshanbo on August 23.

Festival organisers say it is still going ahead, but at a "secret location outside Castlebar" instead, after a letter was circulated urging the Mayflower cancel the booking.

The one-day festival is billed as an event "for those who cherish Irish culture, heritage, and are united in celebrating our shared values".

Musicians are set to play and speakers include writers whose material has been published by the right-wing media outlet Gript.

According to the Twitter account @EamonnVIDF, signatories to the letter calling for the Mayflower to cancel the event included Kneecap, the drag queen Panti Bliss (Rory O'Neill), the band Fontaines DC, left-wing campaigner Eamonn McCann, and folk singer Christy Moore, among many others.

The letter read: "The Mayflower Community Centre in Drumshanbo has a longstanding and rich tradition of hosting vibrant, uplifting, diverse and inclusive cultural events.

"Musicians and artists, past and present, from the area, from across the country and indeed from countries and cultures from across the world, have passed through the doors of the Mayflower and contributed to this rich heritage.

"If it is permitted to go ahead, we believe the far-right 'Mise Eire Festival' will tarnish the proud history of the Mayflower as a venue that has served to bring people together from all backgrounds and as a safe and inclusive cultural space for the community, for local schoolchildren and for all visitors to the area.

"We artists, arts workers and musicians thus call on the committee of the Mayflower Community Centre to cancel this divisive event which is planned to take place there on August 23rd."

After this had circulated, the Mayflower posted a message online which said "we regretfully wish to inform the public that the upcoming ‘Mise Eire’ festival due to be held on 23rd August 2025 will NOT be hosted at the Mayflower Community Centre.

"This is due to terms and conditions not being complied with."

Last December, when Kneecap were told that they could not sell tricolour-coloured balaclavas and t-shirts of burning police vans at the SSE Arena in Belfast, the group had posted "f**k censorship" on Twitter.

In April this year, they complained that "establishment figures, desperate to silence us, have combed through hundreds of hours of footage and interviews, extracting a handful of words from months or years ago to manufacture moral hysteria" after footage circulated allegedly showing rapper Liam O'Hanna shouting "up Hezbollah" while wrapped in a Hezbollah flag (he denies committing a criminal offence).

And in July, in response to the London Tube refusing to display its posters showing a scowling face in a balaclava, the group wrote: "See it. Say it. Censored."

"There are obviously clear double standards that apply when it comes to Kneecap," said UUP North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows.

"They can present what they want [as] artistic expression that should be protected, but join a campaign to deplatform those whom they disagree with.

"You can't have it both ways. It is pure hypocrisy."

Lord Young of Acton, director of the Free Speech Union, said: “So much for Kneecap being fearless champions of freedom of expression.

"I think it's more of a case of free speech for me but not for thee."

Dan Lambert, the manager of Kneecap, said: "There’s journalism and then there’s the News Letter Belfast [sic].

"Nobody from Kneecap will be providing comment to your 'paper', ever. Free Palestine!"