Why Kneecap Make me Feel More Unionist than I am…

I’ve written before about moving away from the conservative Christianity and unionism of my upbringing, a gradual, personal shift that took shape during the decade I spent living and working in Dublin. That experience left me open to the idea of reunification and increasingly disconnected from unionism. I now find myself uneasy with some of the cultural signals coming from nationalism. The tone of certain music, the symbolism, the responses to criticism, all sometimes feel more like assertions of identity than invitations to share in it.

The way Kneecap are celebrated, as bold and clever, often seems less about the substance of what they say and more about the fact that they are seen to be landing blows on the Brits. And yet, when that kind of performance feels alienating to people like me, the response is often that it is just satire. That can function as a kind of shield, cutting off further conversation. It suggests that if you are uncomfortable, you have misunderstood the point. But satire is not above criticism, and using it to deflect unease does not leave much room for honest exchange.

What unsettles me is not Kneecap themselves. It’s how frequently they come up and the tone in which they are talked about. They are not just a band anymore. They are discussed regularly in political conversations, on Slugger, in the media, as if they somehow represent a broader truth.

And yet, when I say they make me uncomfortable, the response is often to just not listen to their music. But that is not how culture works. You do not have to listen directly to something for it to shape the conversation around you.

My reaction is instinctive, as the establishment was my world growing up, but to Kneecap it’s the enemy. As a child, my neighbours were policemen, and they were the fathers of my friends. And they were risking their lives doing their job. So, when I see an image like a burning police Land Rover, it makes me feel disconnected and not just provoked.

I also find it hard to square how easily Kneecap’s drug references are either defended or dismissed, even among people who are quick to call out the harm drugs cause. In most contexts, that kind of language would be seen as part of the problem. But here, it is often recast as just another facet of cultural rebellion and defended by people who logically know the real harm that drugs do.

When you try to explain this kind of dissonance, the reply often becomes that loyalist bands still glorify violence, and nationalist culture has had to endure for decades. But it was exactly this kind of thing that alienated me from unionism.

I am not asking for Kneecap to be censored. I am naming an emotional and cultural disconnect. But every time I try to say that, the conversation is pulled back to artistic interpretation or political intent.

Some people see provocation as a vital function of art. I understand that. But for me, it does not feel provocative in a purposeful way. It feels like something that pushes me further from a cultural space I am already on the periphery of.

There is a broader issue here, too. What is within nationalism’s control is how it speaks to those not already convinced, and how it responds to critique. A confident political movement should be able to look inward as well as outward.

Sometimes it feels like none of this is meant for those still on the margins. The tone, the imagery, and the certainty all seem reserved for those who already belong.

But I keep thinking about people who have already shifted a long way from where they started. They might be the ones who shape what happens next.

This unease would not turn me against reunification. That shift was built on years of experience and reflection, and it runs deeper than moments like this.

But I cannot pretend it has no effect, as feeling culturally apart, even slightly, can unsettle your sense of belonging.

And for others who are more tentative, those signals may carry even more weight. Reunification is not only about economics or politics. It is about whether the version of Irishness taking shape feels open enough for everyone to find a home in it.