Kneecap

I’m a big fan of Kneecap. From the time they were called NÍ CEAPAINN – a clever use of the Irish phrase and a play on the English words Kneecapping. Ní Ceapainn means ‘I don’t reckon’ or ‘I don’t think so’. For example, in ‘An ceapainn tú go bhfuil seo ceart?’ – ‘Do  you reckon this is right? Ní ceapainn. ‘I don’t reckon’. Or ‘I don’t think so.’ Anyway it soon morphed into KNEECAP. As part of a clever and provocative name recognition ploy. That’s my recollection anyway of the origin of the name of this trio of Rappers and I’m sticking by this wee bit of musical history.

Maureen Wilson – a formidable woman

Maureen Wilson was 93 when she died in July. She was one of those countless women and men who over seven decades was a stalwart supporter and activist of Irish republicanism. It was a part of her DNA. When she died Maureen was a member of the Andersonstown Martyrs Sinn Féin Cumann.

Gaza – Don’t Avert your eyes

As I write this week’s column the merciless Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian people of Gaza continues unabated. A new order from the Israeli military this Monday morning instructs thousands of Palestinians in the city of Hamad in West Khan Younis to evacuate. They have no food and no water and nowhere to go that is safe.