Day: July 4, 2025

Local school kids team up with viral Grammy-longlisted young rappers to create new rap song in Irish and Scottish Gaelic

Young musicians (aged 9-12) from Edinburgh and Cork are breaking new grounds with a unique hybrid international hip-hop collaboration, blending Irish and Scottish Gaelic in a creative celebration of language, culture, and connection.

The project, led by Cork’s Kabin Crew (the collective behind the Grammy Award longlisted viral hit ‘The Spark’) and Tinderbox Collective, brings together nine young artists from Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce (Parkside Primary School), a Gaelic-medium primary school in Edinburgh and five experienced young performers from the Kabin Studio’s ‘Kabin Crew’ project in Cork, who have been co-writing a rap song exploring their shared heritage.

Funded by the Foras na Gaeilge – Colmcille Fund, and supported by Barr na gCnoc, University College Cork, the initiative has seen the group connect through eight online writing sessions, where they have shared stories, built friendships, and co-written a rap track that explores the theme “Edinburgh vs Cork.” 

During the online sessions, the young artists shared stories about their hometowns, swapped slang, and exchanged other phrases in Irish and Scots Gaelic. The writing process became a cultural exchange as much as a musical one.

Each group writes in their own language, yet the similarities between Irish and Scots Gaelic have sparked a lot of interest, fun and humour, which really highlights the deep linguistic and cultural ties between Scotland and Ireland. The result is a vibrant, joyful track that reflects their creativity, curiosity, and cultural pride.

Jed Milroy, General Manager at Tinderbox Collective, said: “Tinderbox Collective are so excited to be collaborating with The Kabin Studio on this unique creative project.

“Their ambitious approach to making youth music both accessible as well as of the highest quality is truly inspiring for us all and to be part of them using that platform to promote Gaelic and Irish is a real honour. Long may it continue!”

From grass-roots youth work to award-winning productions, Tinderbox aims to ignite a spark in people – one which fills them with confidence, imagination, and sense of possibility, and helps them achieve things they never thought possible.

Their work uses music and the arts to bring people together and strengthen communities, providing exciting opportunities to those who need them most, and supporting young people to build their confidence, skills, self-esteem, and professional experience.

Máire Dineen, Programme Manager at Kabin Crew, said: “The Kabin Studio is delighted to be part of this project and looks forward to building new relationships with our Scottish friends through music and language.”

The collaboration will culminate in a professional recording and music video. Five of the Edinburgh participants will travel to Cork on 27th June to record the track at the Kabin Studio, while five members of Kabin Crew will later visit Edinburgh to film the video alongside their new collaborators.

The Kabin Studio, based in Knocknaheeny, Cork, is a dynamic youth music and creative hub known for empowering young people through songwriting, rap, and performance. It provides a safe and inspiring space for young artists to express themselves, collaborate, and develop their talents.

Talking about this project, Heidi from Kabin Crew, said: “I feel it’s an amazing way for kids in the North Side to learn Irish and Gaelic.

“I can’t wait to meet my new friends in Edinburgh, they were really nice over Zoom, super sweet and I can’t wait to meet them”

Archie, aged 10, from Edinburgh said – “It’s been working really well getting to write a song in Gaelic and Irish and meeting the Kabin Studio guys.

“It’s really interesting to meet Irish Gaelic rappers. I hope is that if we keep doing this we could get as famous as the Kabin Crew!”

By writing and performing in Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, these young artists are helping to bring these rich, historically underrepresented languages to audiences who wouldn’t usually engage with them and showing them that Gaelic languages are not only alive but thriving in the voices of the next generation.

The Tinderbox and Kabin Crew collaboration will be released later this year.

Swinney pays tribute to Scottish recipients of The Elizabeth Emblem

First Minister marks lives given in public service

First Minister John Swinney has paid tribute to the eight Scottish recipients of The Elizabeth Emblem.

The emblem is awarded posthumously to family members of those who died in public service. It is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK Armed Forces who died in action or a terrorist attack.

The First Minister said: “I warmly welcome the awarding of The Elizabeth Emblem to these individuals and their families.

“This recognition enables us to remember their sacrifice and their lives dedicated to public service. They made Scotland a better place for us all and we continue to honour their memory.”

The Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray said: “I pay tribute to all of those Scots who have been recognised today. Every one of these brave public servants gave their life to protect others. They are people who stepped forward when most of us would step back, and they paid the ultimate price.

“I am particularly pleased that Dunblane teacher Gwen Mayor has been recognised. No-one will ever forget the horror of the shooting at Dunblane Primary School in 1996, when Mrs Mayor was killed trying to protect her pupils.

“I hope that the families of all those recognised will take some comfort in knowing that their loved ones, and their service, has not been forgotten.” 

The family of Dunblane Primary School teacher Gwen Mayor including her husband Rodney Mayor said: “As a family we are extremely proud and honoured to be receiving this award on behalf of Gwen. We always believed her actions that day deserved more recognition.

“You would have to have known Gwen to know that she would have done whatever trying to protect the children in her care. She paid the ultimate price for that commitment. Finally we now feel that she has been honoured for what happened that day.”

The full list of Scottish recipients of The Elizabeth Emblem are:

  • Joseph Stewart Drake, a Constable with Stirling and Clackmannan Constabulary. He died on 11 August 1967 when a stolen lorry intentionally struck his car at Dennyloanhead as he tried to intercept it. 
  • Gwen Mayor, Primary 1 teacher at Dunblane Primary School died on 13 March 1996 alongside 15 of her pupils when a gunman entered the school.
  • Rodney (Rod) Moore, a retired NHS paramedic from Falkirk with 40 years’ service, rejoined the Scottish Ambulance Service to support its Covid-19 response and died on 21 November 2020 having contracted coronavirus.
  • Roderick Nicolson, a Scottish Fire & Rescue Service firefighter died at Perth Harbour on 4 December 1995. He was attempting to rescue workers who became trapped in a silo filled with five tonnes of sodium carbonate ash.
  • Richard Paul North, a Constable with Tayside Police died on 17 March 1987. He was on duty driving a marked police patrol car when it collided with another vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was under the influence of drink and drugs.
  • William Oliver of the Glasgow Salvage Corps died at the Cheapside Street whisky bond fire on 28 March 1960. He was instantly killed alongside 18 others when some casks ruptured causing a massive boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion.
  • Ewan Williamson, a Scottish Fire & Rescue Service firefighter with Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service. He became trapped in a fire at the Balmoral Bar public house in Edinburgh and died on 12 July 2009.
  • Alastair Soutar, of HM Customs and Excise died of his injuries on 29 July 1996 after he was crushed between ‘The Sentinel’ HM Customs and Excise vessel and the ‘Ocean Jubilee’ smugglers vessel. Mr Soutar, from Dundee, was participating in Operation Balvenie to apprehend drug smugglers.