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Viral Bananas

An independent editorial publication connected with the Viral Bananas Facebook community.

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A colourful woman rows her load of bananas towards Chau Doc for sale at the market.

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Current edition

Ideas, people and practical ways forward.

Sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. Yummy and colourful food on display at the market in Chau Doc.

Feature 01

Origins and context

An independent editorial publication connected with the Viral Bananas Facebook community. This feature looks beyond the headline and asks what the idea means in lived experience.

Feature 02

People and perspectives

An independent editorial publication connected with the Viral Bananas Facebook community. This feature looks beyond the headline and asks what the idea means in lived experience.

Event highlights will include: Music The Main Stage at Africa Day Dublin will feature Congolese musician Niwel Tsumbu and Irish musician Dave Flynn who have developed a special Africa Day collaboration; Senegalese kora master and griot Solo Cissokho; Choice Music Prize winner Jape; traditional Irish act Fidil; The Amazing Few; the Discovery Gospel Choir, and the Newpark Afro-Cuban Orchestra. African Bazaar In the African Bazaar, visitors to Africa Day Dublin can take a crash course in Ugandan or Bini dancing; learn some Swahili phrases; model traditional Kasai costumes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, or try out a tent used by the Taureg nomads of Mali. There will also be hair-braiding; traditional Nigerian masquerade performers; Abyssinian and Afro-Caribbean music; African board games; delicious food samples from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Cameroon, and arts and crafts displays from all over Africa. A ‘Best Dressed’ competition will take place over the course of the day, with prizes for those dressed in the most colourful African attire. Food This year at Africa Day Dublin, there will be several African food vendors offering a wide variety of authentic African food and drinks for visitors to purchase. Education Zone In the Education Zone, visitors to Africa Day Dublin can learn more about development issues through participating in fun, family-friendly activities – try on traditional Mauritanian clothes; visit the ‘Because I Am A Girl’ photo exhibition; plant a seed to grow a vegetable commonly eaten in Africa, or take part in a jigsaw puzzle competition. Speakers’ Corner The Speakers’ Corner at Africa Day Dublin will feature a range of workshops over the course of the day, including an Africa Day Book Club discussion on the classic novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe. Chaired by Seán Rocks, presenter of the ‘Arena’ arts programme on RTÉ Radio 1, panellists will include award-winning writer Claire Kilroy; Newstalk presenter Orla Barry, acclaimed author Hugo Hamilton; journalist Roisin Ingle; South African writer Thabi Madide, and Chinedu Onyejelem, Editor of Metro Éireann. A discussion on ‘How to Build Ireland’s Engagement with Africa’ will also take place, with input from the Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power TD. Chaired by RTÉ newsreader Bryan Dobson, panellists will include Justin Kilcullen, Director of Trócaire; Eric Yao, Coordinator of the Africa Centre; broadcaster and travel writer Manchán Magan, and Salome Mbugua, Director of AkiDwA, the African Women’s Network. Sports and Play Area Children visiting Africa Day Dublin can try their hand at traditional African games, such as Ingoma Bawo, the Malawian version of an ancient African board game. They can also enter quizzes and jigsaw puzzle competitions; participate in a drumming workshop; learn how to make traditional Ugandan toys out of banana fibres, and take part in African-themed art activities. * Access is through the Clonmel Street (just off Harcourt Street) entrance to the Iveagh Gardens, and visitors are advised to use public transport to travel to the venue, as parking will be severely limited in the area. * Full details of the programme for Africa Day Dublin are available at http://www.africaday.ie/dublin/overview.aspx . * Irish Aid is the Government’s programme of overseas development. It is a division of the Department of Foreign Affairs. For further information, please visit http://www.irishaid.gov.ie

Feature 03

Practical action

An independent editorial publication connected with the Viral Bananas Facebook community. This feature looks beyond the headline and asks what the idea means in lived experience.

A staff pick from Allison for our favourites album! Painted design featuring flora and fruits, c 1939 “Percival Albert (Percy) Trompf (1902-1964), commercial artist, was born on 30 May 1902 at Beaufort, Victoria […] Percival joined Giles & Richards, commercial artists in Melbourne, and designed chocolate boxes and wrappings for the confectioners A. W. Allen Pty Ltd. Later, from his studio at Little Collins Street, he painted and designed thousands of advertising posters commissioned by such prominent companies as Bryant & May Pty Ltd and Palmolive Co. Ltd, and by the magazine, Walkabout. His posters for the Australian National Travel Association and the Victorian Government Railways received widespread recognition for their images from nature (seagulls at the beach and crystal creeks at Mount Buffalo), but his most popular posters drew upon historical events (Captain Cook's landing at Botany Bay and the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge). His bright, colourful, optimistic pictures had wide appeal, especially during the Depression. Trompf supervised all stages of production, including the printing; most of his posters were 25 ins by 40 ins (64 cm by 102 cm), but large advertising hoardings required 24 sheets connected in jigsaw fashion.” Find out more on the life of Percival Trompf from his entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography Poster Details Artist listed as Percival Albert Trompf and the authorising Government Printer is David Whyte Creating Agency: Queensland Government Tourist Bureau Queensland State Archives Image ID 22142

Feature 04

Origins and context

An independent editorial publication connected with the Viral Bananas Facebook community. This feature looks beyond the headline and asks what the idea means in lived experience.

The <a href=" http://diamondstlucia.com/diamond-falls-attraction/diamond-water-fall/ " rel="nofollow">Diamond Waterfall</a> is arguably the most colourful waterfall in the Caribbean – less than a mile east of Soufriere town center. What makes this waterfall stand out is that its waters were laced with minerals as its stream emanated from rainwater mixed with volcanism giving the falls a rather colorful appearance that seemed to change often. At the Botanical Garden a well maintained path winds its way from the mineral baths through ferns and banana plants to a spot where the Diamond River drops into a picturesque waterfall. This beautiful waterfall is approximately 17 metres in height and is a mixture of rainwater and volcanism fed by the Sulphur Springs. The flow of water varies at different times of year but is always spectacular. The water is laced with minerals, sulphur, copper sulphate, magnesium, iron, manganese and calcium, all contributing to the kaleidoscope of colours that adjourn the rock face behind the falls. The rock face continues to change colour depending on the mineral content at any given point in time. * Unknown author. 2016. "Diamond Falls" Diamond Falls Botanical Garden & Mineral Baths, Saint Lucia WEB SITE 2018-03-18. <a href=" http://diamondstlucia.com/diamond-falls-attraction/diamond-water-fall/ " rel="nofollow">diamondstlucia.com/diamond-falls-attraction/diamond-water...</a> Photo credit: RB SLU_6504

Hardy banana leaf (Musa basjoo) in Athens.

From the editor

Depth before speed.

This publication connects the immediacy of a Facebook community with the permanence of a carefully edited website. The aim is to preserve useful context, make room for longer reading and give important ideas a home beyond the social feed.

Images are selected for relevance and dignity. Factual claims should be checked against current primary sources, while community stories remain clearly identified as experience rather than universal proof.