Kneecap visit Cork's Izz Café in between City Hall gigs

The of Kneecap, Mo Chara, Moglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, pictured with the owners of Izz Café on Georges' Quay, Izz and Eman Alkarajeh, and the traditional Palestinian dish, magloubeh(upside down) bearing the distinctive Kneecap logo.
The proprietor of Cork’s popular Izz Café has described the of Belfast band and stars of a BAFTA nominated movie as an ‘amazing team’ after they visited the Leeside restaurant in between their two City Hall concerts during the week.
Moglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin), Mo Chara (Liam Ó hAnnaidh) and DJ Próvaí (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) called in to the café on Georges’ Quay on Thursday between playing two sell out concerts at City Hall on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
“They’re an amazing team, so energetic and really sympathetic to Palestine,” said café owner Izzedeen (Izz) Alkarajeh, who said the lads had a taste of the popular Palestinian desert, Knafeh, while at their restaurant.
The café posted a video on their social media platforms also, showing Moglaí Bap turning the magloubeh dish bearing the logo of the band. Magloubeh is the Palestinian word for upside down because the dish comprising of layers of vegetables, chicken (or lamb) and rice, is served in that way.
“We’re good friends with Moglaí Bap’s brother, Ainle, who was living in Cork,” said Izz, who also presented the lads with a keffiyeh(the traditional Palestinian scarf) each.
Such was the demand for tickets for Kneecap’s midweek gigs at City Hall that a friend of Izz who had bought four extra tickets raised €2,000 for children in Gaza when he sold them in a charity fundraiser.
It was a busy week for Kneecap as after their gigs in Cork they were on the red carpet again at the IFTA awards presentation in Dublin on Friday night. The three lads had each been nominated for the Best Actor award but lost out to Cork’s own Cillian Murphy who won it for the second time in succession after last year’s success in Oppenheimer for his role in Small Things Like These. Kneecap won’t be too disappointed, however, as the movie won four IFTAs, including the Best Director award for Rich Peppiat. And they’re off to London tomorrow where they’re likely at the BAFTA awards where they’re also nominated in a number of categories.