Niamh Dunne of the Irish trad band Beoga has told RTÉ Radio 1's News at One that the group "remain friends" with Ed Sheeran, despite their decision to leave his North American tour in solidarity with the American rapper Macklemore, who was removed from the shows over his comments about Gaza.
Beoga - Dunne, Liam Bradley, Seán Óg Graham, Damian McKee, and Eamon Murray - had been guests on Sheeran's Loop tour as his backing band when the row began.
Listen: Beoga's Niamh Dunne discusses their decision to leave Ed Sheeran's tour and their support of the residents of the Garvaghy Road
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At his first show in the wake of the departures, Sheeran described what is happening in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate".
He apologised for "making mistakes" following the controversy surrounding Macklemore's removal from the tour.
He had told his followers that "upcoming tour dates had communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting", and added Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, was among them.
Beoga singer and fiddle player Dunne told The News at One that recent weeks in the public eye had been "overwhelming, to say the least".
"But Beoga are getting back on our feet and planning some shows and just moving forward, really, and getting used to being at home again. Back to doing what we do best, which is playing music," she told presenter Rachael English.
"We're working musicians who made a principled decision, and the financial and professional stakes are very real in all of that.
"But it's important for me to say that we are really not the story here, and I would always want to bring it back to the people of Palestine and the plight of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. As a longtime activist, as all of us in Beoga are, that is where the focus has to be."
When asked if she was surprised how the story had become "such a big issue around the world", Dunne replied: "You could say that in a lot of ways the pile-on was maybe unhelpful - the amount of hot takes and TikToks and everyone jumping on a moment.
"It takes away from the fundamental fact that there is a genocide taking place in Palestine. It was a line for us that we could not cross.
"For any artist to be told that they can't talk about Palestine, to be silenced by billionaires like Robert Kraft, that's just simply not ok for us.
"To leave the tour was a no-brainer for us, really, and now we're just dusting ourselves off and getting back to playing music."
Israel has denied all accusations of genocide in Gaza.
On the subject of the group's relationship with Sheeran, Dunne said they "remain friends with Ed".
"I think a part of activism, I can only speak for myself, but I'm constantly learning and trying to do better and to be better," she continued.
"That's all part of the work of what we do as activists, and we have to extend that chance. And we do extend that chance to anybody to learn and understand and come with us as we continue to stand up for justice. And we are committed to that as a band and as people in general."
Beoga joined residents of the Garvaghy Road on Wednesday night as the Drumcree stand-off continues.
"I live in the north of Ireland, I live in Co Antrim," Dunne explained.
"I've lived here for 15 years, and I'm in a band with four men from the north of Ireland as well, so I've been watching this story very, very closely in the last while.
"And it was actually a friend of mine, an activist friend called Brendie Loughran, who is my comrade from Irish Artists for Palestine, who said, 'If you'd fancy coming up and lending some support'. And the best way we know possible, which is to play a few tunes - and of course we jumped at the chance and were very, very glad to be there last night on the Garvaghy Road."
Dunne said she "wasn't sure what I was going to walk into".
"But it is the most extraordinary community of people on the Garvaghy Road. I was absolutely blown away. They welcomed us in," she recounted.
"These are working-class people that are showing up for dignity and peace in their communities.
"There was the young and the old, the brave and the bold. There was all generations of people. These are people with jobs and kids that have work in the morning and they're showing up in shifts and standing firm.
"There was pots of tea and pots of stew. It was just an incredible solidarity and resistance through culture.
"It was very inspiring and I was very moved, actually, by the whole thing. I have so much respect and I'm in awe of that community of people."
She said she had spoken to "a lot of the people there about the hurt in that community and the history".
"Really, all they're asking is to be left alone, as has been the case for almost 30 years," Dunne added.
"And I feel like they should never have been put in this position in the first place, to have to stand out in the bad weather, in the storms. I'm kind of baffled by how we got to this point. It makes no sense.
"The Orange Order still exists and hasn't been wiped out or damaged in any way by not marching down the Garvaghy Road - and that is a fact.
"You have to kind of wonder what is being celebrated here: your culture or your means of imposing that culture, I suppose, over a community that doesn't welcome it."
Talks aimed at resolving the Drumcree parade dispute broke up without agreement on Thursday.
A legal appeal over the contentious march is scheduled for Monday.
