Mayo barrister leads defence team for Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh at UK court
The trial of Mr Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, better known by his stage name Mo Chara, began at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning. Kneecap’s frontman was charged in May of this year under UK terrorism offences.
This came after a video of him appeared online, where he was seen to display a Hezbollah flag during a concert at the Kentish Town Forum on the 21st of November 2024.
Leading up his defence team is Mayo-born Barrister Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh. Originally from Glencalry in north Mayo, Ms Ní Ghrálaigh specialises in protest law, international law, civil liberties and human rights.
She has an extensive background and is called to the Bars in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. She is part of Matrix, a barristers chamber in London, and also sits on the International Criminal Court’s List of Counsel.
Ms Ní Ghrálaigh spent her early years in the town of Glencalry before her family moved to London. A passionate advocate for human rights, this is not her first high-profile court case.
She was part of the Palestinian delegation at the ICC, and spoke at the Hauge in April of this year where she stated that Israel had turned Gaza into an, “uninhabitable wasteland, incapable of sustaining human life”.
Ní Ghrálaigh’s work in law began prior to her qualifying for the bar, when she worked as part of the legal team representing families of those killed in the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.
She is a powerful advocate for human rights and has been described by the Legal 500 as ‘a very impressive, intelligent, talented and fearless barrister’, who is, ‘one of the leading silks of her generation in this area’
Mr Ó hAnnaidh’s case has gathered a huge amount of attention. Turning up to Westminster Magistrates’ court this morning, he was greeted by a crowd of cheering demonstrators waving a mix of Irish tricolour flags, Palestinian flags, and placards reading ‘Defend Kneecap, Drop the Charges,
Freedom for Palestine’. As the defendant made his way into court, he had to force his way through the supportive assemblage who were chanting ‘Free free Palestine’ and ‘Free Mo Chara now’.
The 27-year-old denies the terrorism charge and has branded it as an act of ‘political policing’. Kneecap states that the Hezbollah flag was thrown on stage and that they do not endorse the terrorist group.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.