InNorthern Ireland, theEleventh Night or11th Night, also known as "bonfire night",[1][2] is the night before theTwelfth of July, anUlster Protestant celebration. On this night, toweringbonfires are lit in Protestantloyalist neighbourhoods, and are often accompanied by street parties[3] andloyalist marching bands. The bonfires are mostly made of woodenpallets and locally collected wood. They originally celebrated theWilliamite conquest of the 1690s, which began theProtestant Ascendancy in Ireland and has been maintained by the Protestant community.[4] Eleventh Night events are often condemned forsectarianism orethnic hatred againstIrish Catholics,Irish nationalists, andIrish people broadly, such as the burning ofIrish tricolours, and for damage and pollution caused. Some are controlled byloyalist paramilitaries, and authorities may be wary of taking action against controversial bonfires.[5] In 2021, there were about 250 Eleventh Night bonfires.[6]
LikeThe Twelfth, the Eleventh Night bonfires celebrate theGlorious Revolution (1688) and the victory of Protestant kingWilliam of Orange over theCatholicJames II during theWilliamite-Jacobite War (1689–1691), which began theProtestant Ascendancy in Ireland. When King William landed atCarrickfergus in 1690, his supporters acrossUlster, the northernprovince inIreland, lit bonfires to celebrate. Some of those who did not join in the celebrations were attacked by theWilliamites.[7] There is also a belief that the bonfires commemorate the lighting of fires on the hills of countiesAntrim andDown to help Williamite ships navigate throughBelfast Lough at night.[8]
Traditionally, both Catholics and Protestants in Ulster lit bonfires atMidsummer,May Day (Bealtaine) andHalloween (Samhain), which were non-sectarian.[9] In the 18th century it also became a tradition for Ulster Protestants to light bonfires on 11 July to commemorate the Williamite victory, and for Catholics to light bonfires on 14 August to mark the Feast of theAssumption of Mary.[9]
Eleventh Night bonfires are built mostly of woodenpallets andlumber by local young men and boys. They begin gathering and stacking the material weeks beforehand, and often keep watch at the bonfire site overnight to ensure they are "not lit prematurely by saboteurs".[10] Community bonfire groups raise funds to pay for wood and sometimescranes, while some district councils also provide funding through cultural grants.[11] Historically, bonfires were smaller and more numerous, but over time communities have joined to consolidate resources to build much bigger bonfires, often due to lack of space.[11][12] The lighting of the bonfire is typically accompanied by a large street party and loyalist marching band.[10]
Eleventh Night bonfires sometimes involve sectarian displays. Symbols of Irish nationalism/republicanism (such as the Irish tricolour), and symbols ofCatholicism, are often burnt on the bonfires.[3][8][10] The tricolours on such bonfires may be daubed with sectarian slogans such as "Kill AllTaigs" (KAT) or "Kill All Irish" (KAI).[13]Effigies, and posters of Irish nationalist election candidates, are also sometimes burnt,[10] which has been condemned as "inciting hatred".[14] More recently, symbols of the largePolish immigrant community were burnt on some bonfires, which was described as "racist intimidation".[15]
Duringthe Troubles, loyalist paramilitary groups like theUlster Defence Association (UDA) andUlster Volunteer Force (UVF) used Eleventh Night bonfires to hold "shows of strength", which involved masked gunmen firing volleys of shots into the air.[3][10] After the conflict, some bonfire events have continued to be controlled by current or former loyalist paramilitary members. A 2018 government-backed report noted they were a way for paramilitaries to "extend their legitimacy and control community activities".[5] In some cases, attempts by the authorities to intervene in controversial bonfires has sparked paramilitary violence.[16]
Eleventh Night bonfires have raised health and safety concerns, as well as environmental ones.[3][17] Bonfires are often built to be as large as possible. Some are built near houses and other buildings, which need to be boarded up and doused with water by firefighters to protect them. In some cases, homes have caught fire,[18] and bonfires have collapsed near crowds and onto roads.[19] According to theBBC, clean-up and road repairs due to bonfire damage "costs thousands of pounds every year".[3] Another concern is thepollution caused. Tyres are burnt in some bonfires, despite bans by bodies such asBelfast City Council. Tyres produce many toxicchemical compounds when burnt, and therefore pose a major health issue.[3][10]
Many of the crates used are dyed blue or red, these containSulfuryl fluoride (marked as 'SF') orMethyl Bromide (marked as 'MB'), the companies that produce them warn people not to burn them due to the toxicity released which can cause significant damage to the lungs, liver and kidneys.[20]
Although there are laws that could regulate dangerous bonfires, authorities are wary of enforcing them due to the threat of loyalist violence.[5][21]
In July 2022, a bonfire-builder died after falling from a 50 feet (15 m) tall bonfire in Larne.[22]
There have been attempts to make the bonfires more family-friendly and environmentally-friendly. InBelfast, a Bonfire Initiative has been set up. When joining the initiative, the community groups who organize bonfires agree to a number of conditions. A "bonfire committee" must be formed; the gathering of material for burning may only begin on 1 June; only wood can be burnt; and paramilitary flags and emblems must not be displayed at the bonfire site. In 2010, groups who forbore from burning nationalist flags or symbols were awarded an extra £100 funding.[8]
In 2009, Belfast City Council began promoting "beacons" as an environmentally-friendly alternative. It is a pyramid-shaped metal cage filled withwillow wood-chips, and set on a base of sand to protect the ground underneath. The willow trees re-grow within a year of being cut down, making the bonfires more environmentally sustainable. By agreeing to use the beacons, the communities qualify for up to £1,500 of funding from Belfast City Council to hold a street party – as long as they do not fly paramilitary flags or burn tyres. Some loyalist communities in Belfast have begun using the beacons. However, many others oppose the beacon, claiming that it infringes upon their traditions.[3] In 2009 six beacons were lit in Belfast on Eleventh Night; by 2024 this had grown to fifteen beacons.[3][23]
out with one of the crews on their busiest night of the year – Bonfire Night. It is the eleventh hour of the eleventh night
While the term Bonfire Night once referred to Halloween, in Northern Ireland today it refers to the Eleventh Night [...]