Kneecap rapper Moglaí Bap was greeted by President Catherine Connolly outside Áras an Uachtaráin on Wednesday as he led a run through Phoenix Park in solidarity with Palestine.
Band member Naoise Ó Cairealláin, best known by his stage name Moglaí Bap, was joined by hundreds of runners, including his brother Ainle, for the charity event.
The Belfast rap trio performed at the 3Arena in Dublin on Tuesday and are due to play a second gig in the city venue on Wednesday evening. Moglaí Bap has been running 10km in each city the band is touring to raise funds for Gaza.
“Naoise started doing these runs last year to support a project that we started in Gaza in response to the genocide,” said Ainle, speaking before the event.
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As founder and director of ACLAÍ Palestine – a community gym in the West Bank – Ainle visited the Aida refugee camp, near Bethlehem in August and plans to return in January.
[ Kneecap at 3Arena: A rambunctious and humorous set with heartfelt momentsOpens in new window ]
He is involved in the Gaza food and play project, which delivers food parcels and circus workshops to displaced families in the region. Funds raised through Wednesday’s run are set to go towards the project.
“When the occupation restricted all goods coming in, the food was just impossible to get so we diverted the project a bit to circus and cultural workshops for kids that were displaced around different parts of the strip,” Ainle said.
Runners donning jerseys for Palestine and waving flags started to gather at 1pm outside Des Kelly’s Interiors in Glasnevin, in anticipation of Moglaí Bap’s arrival.
The location is a short distance from Dalymount Park where the Bohemian Football Club are preparing to facilitate Swedish activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday as part of “an evening of words and songs for Gaza”.
Thunberg was also due to visit Áras an Uachtaráin to meet President Connolly on Wednesday afternoon, which was closed to the media.
The Bohemian Cooperatives, the club’s climate justice initiative and host of the event, confirmed that more than 800 tickets have already been sold for Thursday’s event. Musical guests will include Róisín El Cherif, Sorcha Richardson and Kevin Corcoran, with further artists set to be announced.
Médecins Sans Frontières deputy medical co-ordinator for Palestine, Dr Mohammed Abu Mughessib, will join Thunberg in conversation with Irish human rights campaigner Caoimhe Butterly to reflect on the recent flotillas to Gaza.
Thunberg has been frequently seen sporting Bohemians merchandise this year, having been given the team’s recognisable limited edition jersey – a collaboration with Fontaines DC – by Butterly on a flotilla in June.
She met runners outside Bang Bang cafe in Phibsborough, founded by Kneecap manager and Bohs’ chief operating officer Daniel Lambert, on Wednesday afternoon.
As participants warmed up for their run to the Áras and back, Lambert arrived alongside Moglaí Bap. The rapper was quick to start, stopping only momentarily at the meeting point before taking up front position.
“It’s really great to see so many people here and the continued support because leaders just aren’t doing enough still,” said Rebecca O’Keeffe from Irish Sport for Palestine.
The former Irish international basketball player said “sports are a really good tool” to express solidarity.
“We’re doing this because we just think using every avenue possible is necessary.”
Passing drivers in traffic tooted their horns in support of runners making their way to Phoenix Park. Outside the Áras, President Connolly stood at a distance with husband Brian McEnery to greet the first to make it at the halfway mark.
Waves and a few words of encouragement were exchanged as some participants stopped to capture a picture of Ms Connolly.
Earlier this week, Bohemians announced the release of a new collaborative jersey with Kneecap to raise funds for ACLAÍ Palestine to build a community music studio at the Lajee Centre in the West Bank.
