Darren J. Prior
THE national flagship Africa Day 2026 event was celebrated at the Royal Kilmainham Hospital grounds on Sunday, May 17.
This publication went along to the event on the day and interviewed nearly two dozen people.
According to Lassane Ouedraogo, Chairperson of The Africa Solidarity Centre Ireland, who are based on Amiens Street:
"I think that Africa Day is a brilliant initiative in all forms. This year, the biggest event was the Kilmainham celebration, but people need to be informed of the background of the Africa Day celebration. The full name is Africa Liberation Day, which was initiated by African forefathers who fought for the independence and liberation of Africa. And the day itself is the 25th of May every year.
"The day in Kilmainham this year was amazing. It was brilliant. There was a mixture of rain and sunshine, but I think it went well."
Former Republic of Ireland football manager Brian Kerr was also at the event on the day with Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI).
According to Brian:
"SARI's work is very important in terms of integration, education and organising events that make people feel more comfortable in Ireland.
"I am on the board of SARI for very many years. We've been on the go for a long time – over 25 years."
The event location in Kilmainham is "a lovely venue for Africa Day and there is a lot going on here today and, as the day goes on, it does be a very joyous occasion, with all the countries of Africa represented with beautiful costumes and lovely music and the culture of the people that are now living in Ireland.
"It is a chance for them to express their own cultures among some of their own people, but I hope there is going to be plenty of Irish people here today to see the scene and celebrate the diversity of the new Ireland."
All the African and African-Irish people Dublin People spoke to on the day said that their communities do generally like living in Ireland and like Irish culture and being able to integrate with it.
Visiting the Congolese Women in Ireland stand, however, there was upset expressed at former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's comments recently about Africa in which he also singled out the Congo in a controversial and many would say racist way.
According to Sido Manzambi, Chairperson of the United Congolese Association, who are based in Cavan, Bertie Ahern:
"is entitled to his opinion, but we also have to think that the way he shaped this for us, he shaped people's opinions now. It's kind of hard."
The Congolese people, "like any other community, we do have our issues as well, but we are working hard, we are paying our taxes, we have been here for a long time, so I would say that he is entitled to his opinion, but the way he said it, it was almost like he was attacking only the Congo.
"There are legal Congolese living in Ireland as well as illegal.
"So let's just think about it like that.
"When he is talking, he should talk in regards to the illegal immigrants and see how we can tackle this."
Sido told Dublin People that she has invited Bertie Ahern to come to the Congolese Day they are organising in Cavan Town on the 31st May.
"The Congolese are not against him.
"We do believe that he is entitled to his own opinion. But there are ways that he could have said it. The way he put it, that is kind of exposing us, the Congolese, to all of the attacks and the scandal that is happening in the country right now."
Africa Day is celebrated in Ireland and around the world during the month of May every year.
Irish Aid are a major sponsor of the national flagship event in Kilmainham, along with Dublin City Council, but across the country local organisations, groups and local authorities also organise events to mark the festival.
All events are listed at: www.ireland.ie/en/africa-day/ as well as across many other social media platforms.
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