Kneecap Alters ‘Fenian’ Posters Following TfL Ban

Kneecap’s manager has claimed that posters promoting the group’s latest album ‘Fenian’ had to be edited after Transport for London allegedly refused to approve the original design.

The album arrived on May 1 and serves as the Irish trio’s second full length release, following their 2024 debut ‘Fine Art’. The project includes collaborations with Kae Tempest, Radie Peat and Fawzi, while singles released ahead of the album included ‘Irish Goodbye’, the title track, ‘Smugglers & Scholars’, and ‘Liars Tale’, which takes aim at Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Daniel Lambert, the group’s manager, has now alleged that advertisements created for the album campaign were rejected by Transport for London, forcing the team to censor parts of the artwork.

The initial design featured the album cover, the title displayed in large red lettering, and several review quotes from publications that awarded the album four and five stars. It also included a quote from the Prime Minister, who had previously described the trio as “completely intolerable”.

Lambert later revealed on X/Twitter that the original version was not approved by TfL, meaning the team had to create revised versions of the poster with both the word ‘Fenian’ and Starmer’s name blacked out.

Kneecap – ‘Fenian’. Credit: Press

In a statement shared with Belfast Telegraph, TfL disputed those claims and said they only received the edited version of the advertisement, insisting they never instructed the band’s management to alter the design.

“The redacted style of the poster reflects the version that was submitted to us for approval. We did not request any changes to the artwork before the current advertising campaign commenced,” a spokesperson said.

Lambert later responded online, claiming that the uncensored artwork had indeed been rejected before the revised design was submitted.

“The company we book London tube ads with confirmed our original artwork was NOT accepted by TFL and ‘FENIAN’ had to be removed,” he wrote. “We then provided a redacted poster – took a week for approval and deadlines missed… Delay was then TFL making the decision to even approve redacted one.”

The manager followed up with another statement, writing: “The facts here are pretty clear. I said they ‘only accepted with them blanked out’. Which is true and accurate”.

Alongside the message, Lambert posted a photo of the edited poster displayed in public as well as a screenshot of an email titled “KNEECAP Tube Ads”. The message allegedly read: “I can confirm TFL will not allow the word FENIAN to be displayed unfortunately. All ads have to be completely impartial and non-political of any movement.”

The word “Fenian” historically refers to Irish revolutionaries from the 19th century who fought to end British rule and establish an independent Irish republic. While the term has also been used negatively as a slur against Irish nationalists, the album sees Kneecap reclaiming the word as a symbol of identity, unity and resistance.

Speaking to NME in a recent interview, the group explained the deeper meaning behind the title. “It originally came from Irish folklore. It was a band of warriors in old Irish stories that date back 1,500 years.”

“Then it was repurposed for several rebellions during the 18th and 19th Century, then in modern times it was used as a derogatory slur for Irish nationalists,” Móglaí Bap said. “When you call someone a ‘fenian’, you’re suggesting that they’re backwards or uncivilised. In the North or when Irish people came to London, they’d say ‘You Fenian c**t.’”

The trio added that they are reclaiming ‘Fenian’ as another word for “the warrior”, while continuing to highlight what they describe as “the power of language”.

NME later contacted Transport for London again for further clarification over the use of the term in advertisements. A spokesperson repeated that the campaign submitted for approval already featured the edited design.

“There is no blanket ban of the term ‘Fenian’ being used in advertising campaigns on our estate,” they added. “If it featured in an advertising campaign submitted to us, as with any copy, we would review it on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration its specific context and any guidance from the Committee of Advertising Practice.”

Kneecap’s latest album recently received a four and a half star review from NME, which praised the project as “solid, progressive and fearless”, while commending the group for continuing to make music with purpose instead of simply leaning into controversy.

The Belfast trio are also currently competing for the Number One spot on the UK Albums Chart this week, going up against releases from Melanie C and Michael Jackson.

The group are also preparing for a packed summer of live performances across the UK and Europe, including their biggest headline show so far at Crystal Palace Park in London this June, alongside appearances at Primavera, Open’er, Roskilde, Reading & Leeds and several other festivals.