Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (born 16 October 1997), better known by his stage name Mo Chara ("My Friend" in Irish), is an Irish

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, and

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

from

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, Northern Ireland. He is a founding member of the hip hop group

Kneecap The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...

, which raps in both Irish and English and is known for its provocative lyrics, political activism, and support for the Irish language.

Career

Kneecap

Ó hAnnaidh co-founded Kneecap in 2017 with Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap) and JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí). The group quickly gained notoriety for their energetic performances, satirical and politically charged lyrics, and unapologetic embrace of Irish republican and working-class Belfast youth culture. Their debut single "C.E.A.R.T.A." was released in 2017, followed by the album ''3CAG'' (2018) and ''Fine Art'' (2024), both of which received critical acclaim. Kneecap's music addresses themes such as Irish language rights, anti-colonialism, class, and the legacy of

The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...

, often using humour and irony. The group has also been outspoken in its support of

Palestinian nationalism Palestinian nationalism is the national movement of the Palestinian people that espouses Palestinian self-determination, self-determination and sovereignty over the region of Palestine.de Waart, 1994p. 223 Referencing Article 9 of ''The Pales ...

, and has been at the centre of public debates about free speech and political expression in Ireland and the UK.

Acting

Ó hAnnaidh starred as a fictionalised version of himself in the film ''

'' (2024), a comedy-drama directed by Rich Peppiatt that depicts the group's rise and the cultural and political context of contemporary Belfast. The film, which also features

Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (; born 2 April 1977) is a German-Irish actor. His accolades include nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was listed at number nine on ''The Irish Ti ...

, won several awards and was praised for its authenticity, humour, and social commentary.

Political activism and legal issues

Ó hAnnaidh and Kneecap are known for their activism in support of the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

as well as their criticism of British government policies in Northern Ireland. He is also known for his outspoken support for

and Palestinian rights and against the United Kingdom's alleged complicity on what he considers to be a genocide of Palestinians. In May 2025, Ó hAnnaidh was charged in the UK with a terrorism-related offense for allegedly displaying a

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

flag at a concert in London, a charge he and the group described as “political policing” and an attempt to silence dissent. The offence carries up to six months' imprisonment or a fine and a district judge, not a jury, will decide the case. On 18 June 2025, Ó hAnnaidh appeared at

Westminster Magistrates' Court Westminster Magistrates' Court is a Magistrates' court (England and Wales), magistrates' court at 181 Marylebone Road, London. The Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, who is the Senior Judiciary of England and Wales#District judges, Distric ...

and was released on unconditional bail. He is scheduled to return to court for a further hearing on 20 August 2025. Following the court appearance, UK Prime Minister

Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...

told ''

The Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...

'' that he did not consider Kneecap's planned performance at the

Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...

on 28 June to be appropriate, citing the seriousness of the charge and the ongoing legal proceedings. The band responded "You know what's 'not appropriate' Keir? Arming a fucking

genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...

. Fuck ''The Sun'' and solidarity with

Palestine Action Palestine Action is a pro-Palestinian organisation which disrupts the arms industry in the United Kingdom with direct action. Key targets have been British factories of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. In their campaigns, Palestine ...

Personal life

Ó hAnnaidh grew up in West Belfast, an area with a strong Irish-language revival movement and a history of political activism. He is fluent in Irish and is regarded as a prominent figure in the contemporary Irish-language music scene.

Discography

Filmography

* ''Kneecap'' (2024) – as himself

Awards

* Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Award for Best Director (''Kneecap'', 2024; shared with cast and crew) * BAFTA Award for ''Kneecap'' (2024; as cast member)

References

{{reflist Northern Irish rappers Actors from Northern Ireland Irish-language singers Activists from Northern Ireland People from Belfast Living people 1990s births People charged with terrorism