TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said he did not raise the case of Kneecap being banned from entering Canada with the country’s Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday, saying that there have been no requests for representations to be made on their behalf. 

Kneecap have been banned from entering Canada for “glorifying terrorist organisations” ahead of their four scheduled gigs in Toronto and Vancouver next month.

In a video posted to his X account recently, Canadian MP Vince Gasparro accused the group of: “Advocating for political violence, glorifying terrorist organisations and displaying hate symbols that directly target the Jewish community”.

Kneecap has said they are taking legal action against Gasparro for the “wholly untrue and deeply malicious” comments.

Gasparro, who is Canadian Parliamentary Secretary for Combating Crime, said: “On behalf of the Government of Canada I am announcing that on the advice of our officials, we have deemed the group Kneecap ineligible to enter our country.”

“The group have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” he said. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Colleen Anne Photography Colleen Anne Photography

The Taoiseach travelled to Ottawa in Canada yesterday to meet with the prime minister, with the focus primarily on trade.

When asked if he spoke to the prime minister about the case, Martin said:

“No, I discussed the issues we had to discuss.”

He added that it was a matter of the Canadian authorities.

“Those issues tend to work themselves through”, he said.

He told the media that it was something Irish officials could work with officials in the Canadian administration on, but also added that no representations have been made to the Canadian authorities as “we haven’t been asked to”, said the Taoiseach. 

“We want mobility of musicians,” Martin said, who added that he would like Irish musicians to have access to other countries. 

Kneecap previously cancelled 15 sold-out US tour dates scheduled for October, citing the timing of an upcoming court hearing for band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh in London.

Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in England in May, accused of displaying a flag of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah during a London concert last November.

The case was adjourned until today, when Ó hAnnaidh will hear whether the case will go to trial. 

Kneecap’s first US tour date had been set for 1 October, with 15 shows planned across 14 American cities.