Kneecap donate £7k to new Irish medium youth facility in west Belfast

Belfast rappers Kneecap have helped launched a campaign for a new Irish medium youth facility in the west of the city by donating £7,000.

The Irish languagehip hoptrio gave the money to Glór na Móna’s youth project, which is facing a funding shortfall.

The donation comes after the group won £14,000 in a discrimination case against the British government last year and announced they would split the cash between groups from both sides of the community.

Having won £14,000 in a court case against the British government, Kneecap announced before Christmas they were donating £7,000 to Glór na Móna and £7,000 to another youth organization on the Shankill Road. PICTURE: MAL MCCANN

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh from Kneecap told of how Glór na Móna’s youth club was “where the language became a central part of my life and I felt the power of language reconquest”.

He said “without Glór na Móna there would be no Kneecap and the massive impact of their work with young people is why we chose to support them”.

The money will be used towards the Croí na Carraige project on the Whiterock Road, a new purpose-built building on the vacant council land beside the current centre.

Youth co-ordinator Pádraigin Nic Mhathúna, speaking on behalf of Glór na Móna, said the donation will “go a long way in supporting our ambitious plans for the future and our flagship Irish-medium capital project”.

“We have been successful in securing £1 million of capital funds, which includes £500,000 from Belfast City Council who own the land and have a design team in place,” he said.

“We also have funding from the Ciste, Irish Language Investment Fund and the Shared Island Fund.

“Phase One of the building is coming in at about £1.6m so we are £600k short. Department for Communities and the Department of Education have told us they have no money, but we believe the funding is there if those with power and responsibility make our young people a priority.

“We are at breaking point. We cater for over 200 young Gaels every week and our current facilities here are simply not big enough for our youth projects.”

He said the “lack of facilities here and space are really hindering the development of our young people and the expansion of our services to meet their needs”.

“It is simply not good enough,” he said.

“We can’t wait about any longer and need to raise this money ourselves.

“We would ask people across the country and across the world to follow Kneecap’s lead and donate to help us build this crucial community facility.”

Liam Óg added: “It’s a total disgrace that these confident and articulate young Gaels are still being held in Portacabins like I was when I went to school on the same site back in the 90’s.

“Those in power should be embarrassed and ashamed that young people in Ballymurphy need to fundraise to get the facilities they deserve.

“We are only too happy to launch this campaign and ask all our friends and supporters to donate generously to the Croí an Carraige project which will help transform this community.”

Please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/croi-na-carraige-new-irishmedium-youth-and-community-centre