Eleventh Night
northern ireland eleventh night th night also known bonfire night night twelfth july ulster protestant celebration night towering bonfire lit protestant loyalist neighbourhood often accompanied street party loyalist marching band bonfire mostly made wooden pallet locally collected wood originally celebrated williamite conquest began protestant ascendancy ireland maintained protestant community eleventh night event often condemned sectarianism ethnic hatred irish catholic irish nationalist irish people broadly burning irish tricolour damage pollution caused controlled loyalist paramilitary authority may wary taking action controversial bonfire eleventh night bonfire like twelfth eleventh night bonfire celebrate glorious revolution victory protestant king william orange catholic james ii williamitejacobite war – began protestant ascendancy ireland king william landed carrickfergus supporter across ulster northern province ireland lit bonfire celebrate join celebration attacked williamites also belief bonfire commemorate lighting fire hill county antrim help williamite ship navigate belfast lough night traditionally catholic protestant ulster lit bonfire midsummer may day bealtaine halloween samhain nonsectarian th century also became tradition ulster protestant light bonfire july commemorate williamite victory catholic light bonfire august mark feast assumption mary eleventh night bonfire built mostly wooden pallet lumber local young men boy begin gathering stacking material week beforehand often keep watch bonfire site overnight ensure lit prematurely saboteur community bonfire group raise fund pay wood sometimes crane district council also provide funding cultural grant historically bonfire smaller numerous time community joined consolidate resource build much bigger bonfire often due lack space lighting bonfire typically accompanied large street party loyalist marching band eleventh night bonfire sometimes involve sectarian display symbol irish nationalismrepublicanism irish tricolour symbol catholicism often burnt bonfire tricolour bonfire may daubed sectarian slogan kill taigs kat kill irish kai effigy poster irish nationalist election candidate also sometimes burnt condemned inciting hatred recently symbol large polish immigrant community burnt bonfire described racist intimidation trouble loyalist paramilitary group like ulster defence association uda ulster volunteer force uvf used eleventh night bonfire hold show strength involved masked gunman firing volley shot air conflict bonfire event continued controlled current former loyalist paramilitary member governmentbacked report noted way paramilitary extend legitimacy control community activity case attempt authority intervene controversial bonfire sparked paramilitary violence eleventh night bonfire raised health safety concern well environmental one bonfire often built large possible built near house building need boarded doused water firefighter protect case home caught fire bonfire collapsed near crowd onto road according bbc cleanup road repair due bonfire damage cost thousand pound every year another concern pollution caused tyre burnt bonfire despite ban body belfast city council tyre produce many toxic chemical compound burnt therefore pose major health issue many crate used dyed blue red contain sulfuryl fluoride marked sf methyl bromide marked mb company produce warn people burn due toxicity released cause significant damage lung liver kidney although law could regulate dangerous bonfire authority wary enforcing due threat loyalist violence july bonfirebuilder died falling foot tall bonfire larne attempt make bonfire familyfriendly environmentallyfriendly belfast bonfire initiative set joining initiative community group organize bonfire agree number condition bonfire committee must formed gathering material burning may begin june wood burnt paramilitary flag emblem must displayed bonfire site group forbore burning nationalist flag symbol awarded extra £ funding belfast city council began promoting beacon environmentallyfriendly alternative pyramidshaped metal cage filled willow woodchips set base sand protect ground underneath willow tree regrow within year cut making bonfire environmentally sustainable agreeing use beacon community qualify £ funding belfast city council hold street party – long fly paramilitary flag burn tyre loyalist community belfast begun using beacon however many others oppose beacon claiming infringes upon tradition six beacon lit belfast eleventh night grown fifteen beacon history northern ireland orange order pallet craft unionism ireland