# The Spark (Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew song)
**"The Spark"** is a song by the Irish children's hip hop groups Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew, rapped over a drum-and-bass beat by young performers aged about nine to 12 from Cork and from a direct provision center (Irish state accommodation for asylum seekers) in [County Clare](https://www.edgepedia.org/county-clare)[1](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/). Written as the anthem for Cruinniú na nÓg 2024, Ireland's national day of creativity for young people, it was posted online on 15 May 2024 and became a viral hit, later described in press coverage as a "song of the summer"[1](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/) • [2](https://www.recordoftheday.com/record-of-the-day/2024-06-14/the-spark2024) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/b38527d7ff8d498e72943ef84cda638b).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artists | Kabin Crew (Cork) and Lisdoonvarna Crew (children from a direct provision center in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare)[13](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/sep/12/they-put-cork-on-the-map-what-the-kids-behind-rap-sensation-the-spark-did-next) |
| Written for | Cruinniú na nÓg 2024, commissioned in April 2024 by Creative Ireland through the Rhyme Island project[4](https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/blog/the-spark-became-the-song-of-the-summer/) |
| Producer | Garry McCarthy (GMCBeats), creative director and founder of the Kabin Studio[14](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/06/style/irish-kids-spark-rap.html) |
| Release | Social media 15 May 2024; official single 13 June 2024, Rubyworks/95 Records, one song of 2 minutes[2](https://www.recordoftheday.com/record-of-the-day/2024-06-14/the-spark2024) • [5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-spark-feat-lisdoonvarna-crew-single/1750776444) |
| Genre | Children's rap over a drum-and-bass beat; classed as Electronic on Apple Music[1](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/) • [5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-spark-feat-lisdoonvarna-crew-single/1750776444) |
| Reach | Over 51 million streams, 1.3 billion TikTok views and half a billion Instagram views by September 2024[6](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2024/09/16/they-put-cork-on-the-map-what-the-kids-behind-rap-sensation-the-spark-did-next/) |
| UK chart peaks | No. 38 on the Official Singles Sales Chart; No. 33 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart[7](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/kabin-crewlisdoonvarna-crew-the-spark/) |
## Background and creation
In April 2024, Creative Ireland asked the Kabin's young people to create an anthem for Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 with Garry McCarthy, a songwriter, rapper and youth workshop facilitator who performs as GMCBeats and founded the studio[4](https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/blog/the-spark-became-the-song-of-the-summer/) • [6](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2024/09/16/they-put-cork-on-the-map-what-the-kids-behind-rap-sensation-the-spark-did-next/).
**Two groups, one song.** The chorus and first verse were written by the Kabin Crew during an Easter workshop at the Kabin Studio; the Lisdoonvarna Crew finished the song separately[15](https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/news/gmc-beats-new-rap-named-song-of-the-summer/). According to *The Guardian*, the performers were between nine and 12 years old; the [Irish Examiner](https://www.edgepedia.org/irish-examiner) later described the Kabin performers as aged between nine and 13[1](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/) • [8](https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41420263.html).
Both crews had prior releases.
## The song and video
The track sets the children's raps to a bouncy drum-and-bass beat. Its chorus runs, "Think you can stop what we do? I doubt it. We got the energy, I'll tell you all about it", and continues, "I searched for my spark and I found it, everybody in the club start bouncing"[1](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/). McCarthy told *The Guardian* that the team looked for something upbeat, found a drum-and-bass track, and built chant and chorus ideas with the children[1](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/).
The music video was shot in a single day on the top deck of Cork's 202 bus, at the Cork venue The Pavilion and at the Kabin itself, and was directed by the Cork native Sean Downey[9](https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/song-of-the-summer-kabin-and-lisdoonvarna-crew-release-hit-track-the-spark-on-all-streaming-platforms/a2104779682.html).
## Release and virality
By 14 June 2024 the song had passed 350 million views on TikTok and 3.5 million on YouTube[2](https://www.recordoftheday.com/record-of-the-day/2024-06-14/the-spark2024). *Time* reported that a repost by a popular TikTok account drew more than seven million views, an Irish radio appearance drew over six million, and the Kabin Crew's own TikTok videos of the song passed four million[1](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/).
After a month of demand from fans, the single was officially released on all streaming platforms on 13 June 2024 through Rubyworks/95 Records[9](https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/song-of-the-summer-kabin-and-lisdoonvarna-crew-release-hit-track-the-spark-on-all-streaming-platforms/a2104779682.html) • [5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-spark-feat-lisdoonvarna-crew-single/1750776444). The Kabin Crew already counted more than 155,000 Spotify listeners at that point[9](https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/song-of-the-summer-kabin-and-lisdoonvarna-crew-release-hit-track-the-spark-on-all-streaming-platforms/a2104779682.html). By 17 June 2024 the video had over two million views, with media requests arriving from around the world[4](https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/blog/the-spark-became-the-song-of-the-summer/).
**Chart performance.** In the United Kingdom the song entered the Official Singles Sales Chart at its peak of No. 38 on 27 June 2024 and spent six weeks in the top 100; on the Official Singles Downloads Chart it peaked at No. 33[7](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/kabin-crewlisdoonvarna-crew-the-spark/).
## Performances and aftermath
The Kabin Crew members sang the song live for the first time at a Cruinniú na nÓg event on 15 June 2024[10](https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2024/0615/1454926-the-spark-cruinniu-na-nog/). Later that month the crews performed at the [Kaleidoscope](https://www.edgepedia.org/kaleidoscope) family festival in Wicklow[8](https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41420263.html). The British singer [Becky Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/becky-hill) brought the young performers out as surprise guests at her sold-out Virgin Media Park show in Cork, and members of both crews also performed at the [Pukkelpop](https://www.edgepedia.org/pukkelpop) festival in Belgium[11](https://www.hotpress.com/music/watch-becky-hill-brings-out-the-spark-performers-as-surprise-guests-at-sold-out-cork-show-23030810).
By September 2024 the Irish Times reported more than 51 million streams across platforms, half a billion Instagram views and over 1.3 billion TikTok views[6](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2024/09/16/they-put-cork-on-the-map-what-the-kids-behind-rap-sensation-the-spark-did-next/). The Associated Press picked "The Spark" as its post-ironic, TikTok-heavy "song of the summer" for 2024, and a year later cited it as the category's past champion[3](https://apnews.com/article/b38527d7ff8d498e72943ef84cda638b) • [12](https://apnews.com/article/1c13d538460ec3473d88f5196abff6fb).
McCarthy has said that the song's success is aimed at sustaining the studio itself: the Kabin operates on limited funding, and he hoped the attention would help secure support while keeping the children's wellbeing at the center[8](https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41420263.html).
## References
1. [Good Luck Getting This Irish Children's Rap Out of Your Head, Time (5 June 2024)](https://time.com/6985935/the-spark-irish-childrens-song/)
2. [Record of the Day, 14 June 2024](https://www.recordoftheday.com/record-of-the-day/2024-06-14/the-spark2024)
3. [Who will have the 2024 song of the summer? AP News](https://apnews.com/article/b38527d7ff8d498e72943ef84cda638b)
4. [Everybody in the crowd, start bouncing – the story of how The Spark became the song of the summer, Creative Ireland Programme](https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/blog/the-spark-became-the-song-of-the-summer/)
5. [The Spark (feat. Lisdoonvarna Crew) - Single, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-spark-feat-lisdoonvarna-crew-single/1750776444)
6. [They put Cork on the map!: what the kids behind rap sensation The Spark did next, The Irish Times (16 September 2024)](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2024/09/16/they-put-cork-on-the-map-what-the-kids-behind-rap-sensation-the-spark-did-next/)
7. [THE SPARK – KABIN CREW/LISDOONVARNA CREW, Official Charts](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/kabin-crewlisdoonvarna-crew-the-spark/)
8. [Think you can stop what they do? Meet the kids behind viral hit The Spark, Irish Examiner (23 June 2024)](https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41420263.html)
9. ['Song of the summer': Kabin and Lisdoonvarna Crew release hit track 'The Spark' on all streaming platforms, Irish Independent (14 June 2024)](https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/song-of-the-summer-kabin-and-lisdoonvarna-crew-release-hit-track-the-spark-on-all-streaming-platforms/a2104779682.html)
10. [Watch: 'Spark' stars sing hit song live for first time, RTÉ News (15 June 2024)](https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2024/0615/1454926-the-spark-cruinniu-na-nog/)
11. [Watch: Becky Hill brings out 'The Spark' performers as surprise guests at sold-out Cork show, Hot Press](https://www.hotpress.com/music/watch-becky-hill-brings-out-the-spark-performers-as-surprise-guests-at-sold-out-cork-show-23030810)
12. [Who will have the 2025 song of the summer? AP News](https://apnews.com/article/1c13d538460ec3473d88f5196abff6fb)
13. ['They put Cork on the map!': what the kids behind rap ..., theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/sep/12/they-put-cork-on-the-map-what-the-kids-behind-rap-sensation-the-spark-did-next)
14. ['The Spark': How Irish Kids Created the Song of Summer, nytimes.com](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/06/style/irish-kids-spark-rap.html)
15. [GMC Beat's new rap named Song of the Summer, Creative Ireland Programme](https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/news/gmc-beats-new-rap-named-song-of-the-summer/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Compositions and songs › Children's, novelty, parody, and traditional children's songs › Nursery rhymes and traditional children's songs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license