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BONFIRE ORGANISERS IN Belfast have reconstructed two sites in the city after removing hazardous material from them following a council vote.
Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee passed a motion yesterday to remove material from the sites in the east of the city, after environmental concerns were raised about use of tyres to build them.
It followed the removal of 1,800 tyres by the council from a third site in the south of the city on Sunday.
The bonfires are lit in some loyalist areas on 11 July, the night before the Battle of the Boyne is commemorated by Orange Order parades across Northern Ireland.
However, organisers of a loyalist bonfire in the car park of the Avoniel Leisure Centre – one of those targeted by the council – voluntarily removed the tyres from their bonfire shortly after Belfast City Council’s vote.
The site attracted controversy over the weekend, when staff closed the leisure centre after reportedly being threatened and intimidated by bonfire organisers.
DUP councillor for East Belfast George Dorrian welcomed the removal of tyres from the bonfire as a “positive step”.
“We have said this is the issue undermining bonfires, its being addressed and this should be recognised and accepted,” he said.
Meanwhile, a second bonfire that was originally built beside the nearby Connswater Shopping Centre was moved 500m away to a council-owned site, close to the Oval football ground.
SDLP councillor Donal Lyons welcomed the council’s vote, reminding bonfire organisers that they have a responsibility to ensure that sites are safe.
“I understand the significance of eleventh night bonfires for many in our community and I am in no way trying to diminish that aspect of anyone’s cultural celebration,” he said.
“But there is a responsibility on the organisers to ensure that bonfires are safe and pose no hazard.
“Many take that obligation seriously but in some cases that has not happened, in spite of engagement with organisers, and it is therefore our responsibility to intervene.”
However, tensions have continued to rise in other parts of Northern Ireland ahead of the lighting of bonfires.
In Armagh, a letter was sent to residents living near a site in Portadown advising them to “evacuate” their homes before the bonfire is lit.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council informed residents that the bonfire posed a “serious health and safety risk” and that it had secured alternative accommodation for those in the local area.
The bonfire organisers were criticised by Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie, who said its impact on residents went “beyond a display of identity and culture”.
BBC reports that a special meeting the council was held yesterday to discuss residents’ concerns, but that councillors were told that a contractor could not be found to remove firewood from the bonfire.
Such admiral construction techniques – if only they could build a bridge…
They really seem to hold a grudge against the Ivory Coast up there for some reason
@Seàn Mc: lol
Absolute Gobsheens
Because nothing screams “ARE KULTURE!” Like inflicting toxic fumes on everyone in the area…
How could you integrate them into a united Ireland… We have a long way to go…
@Dave Walsh: Pretty simple really. Once United introduce a factual history book that everyone on the Island must study. Tell the truth (warts and all) about the effects of colonization. Within 1 generation, who in their right mind would think of burning their own countries flag. Should have been done in 1921, unfortunately the South didn’t have the right leadership. Collins was sending guns up to the IRA to help the Irish fight back then. But unfortunately he was murdered and with no real leaders after that, the Southern politicians were only too happy to sell out their Northern countrymen.
@Cal Mooney: For a start it’s not “Southern Ireland”.
@Clifford Brennan: Were they tears of joy?
@Cal Mooney: Of course Cal, your plan of using a textbook to resolve a centuries old dispute is pure genius. Why didn’t anyone think it before now?
@Cal Mooney: One thing that you’ve got to understand —–The Pope financed “King Billy’s” army. Little known but historical fact!
@Cal Mooney: O.M.G. If only himself and Leo had got together!!!
I see typing “Jesus Wept” gets your comment deleted here now. I’ve checked the t&c’s and I see no rule breach. Bizarre and arbitrary.
@Cal Mooney: Oh boy ! Someone really sold you a crock of sh!te…
@davey boy: I’m looking to see where he said “Southern Ireland”?
How can FFG not make formal protests to Westminster to say that the burning of our flag and effigies of murdered children etc must immediately cease as they are sectarian and hate crimes in their own right. In other words, uphold the rule of law. Do they even care? They have let it go on for decades.
@Cal Mooney: I’ve always wondered about that. The UK seems to have the strictest “hate crime” legislation on the planet. I’d be interested to know if any case was brought forward, what did/would happen…
Because as you say, seems to be a blind eye attitude.
@Mushy Peas: while it is not the Irish people in northern Ireland’s official flag, it is the flag of us here in Ireland. We should treat this as if there was a French protest where they were burning Irish symbols and making death threats. Ignoring this should be brought up at an ECJ level if the UK continue to allow it (before they leave)
@Cal Mooney:
Excellent point. There is a precedent here. A number of years ago, a FF MEP (Seán Ryan) raised the issue of Glasgow Rangers fans singing the “Famine Song” in the European Parliament on the grounds of its explicit racism and sectarianism. He deserves credit for his conviction unlike the current government. If such incidents happened any where else, I suspect that the government would not be so silent. These hate crimes – think Harryville or the Holy Faith school blockades – have always been handled in such a manner by the authorities in the North that would be unthinkable anywhere on continental Europe.
@Cal Mooney: Whats an FFG? Is that something loyalists burn on bonfires?
@CrabaRev: Thought they just burned pellets and got paid for it. Come to think about it, they get paid to burn pallets too.
@Cal Mooney: Stealing @Joe Nolan’s jokes now are we?
What’s the difference between loyalist paramilitaries and the DUP? One burns “pallets”, the other burns “pellets”.
Anyone told them yet that Pope Innocent XI supported King Billy?
@Michael McLoughlin: Anyone told them that the Battle of the Boyne was fought on 1st July?
@Earth Traveller: They won’t accept the Gregorian calender as it’s named after a pope.
@Michael McLoughlin: anyone tell them King Billy was gay !
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council informed residents that the bonfire posed a “serious health and safety risk. Why are the Police not doing their jobs then by stopping these cave men & women with their childish behaviour putting people at risk
But it’s their culture and tradition. King Billy spent months collecting pallets and tyres before the battle of the Boyne
Just clampdown on these bonfires once and for all put a completestop to it
Fleg
So are the Irish government going to sit by again this year while tri colour being burnt is celebrated… Time to step up…
Chuckee our law
Would you all be quiet .. have you not noticed the amount of NI reg cars in the south around this time .. all the hotels are booked out, all the campsites are booked out! .. the amount of money The Orange Order makes for the Irish Economy is amazing … yet Belfast and the Ulster towns are like ghost towns!
Celebrating an historical victory they say, though last time I fished there, the Boyne was in the Republic’s Ancient East heartland. Maybe they have another Boyne in Norn Iron.
@Denis McClean: The Council have even organised alternative accommodation, as might be done on the case of a natural disaster like a flood or an earthquake. This lunacy would not be tolerated in any other so called civilised society on earth.
Ridiculous silly bonfire
That’s a great idea to build a giant bonfire rights beside a shopping centre.
Neanderthals there waffling on about the “culture”
I doubt King Billy’s men built theirs 50 feet up out of pallets, in any case.
Kkkulture
So apparently culture means intimidating catholics, marching obnoxiously loudly through the streets and burning tricolours. Disgrace. Surprised to see it hasn’t been registered as hate
Government are too scared to step up and say something about it
@Mr.Misery: The British government are paying these muck savages to do as they please…
Better bring plane water bomb stop bonfire out
What a backward culture full of hate and living in 1700s
It’s. Such a sectarian Kip up there
Shure the lads have been burning tyres since 1690
https://twitter.com/lanpaisleymp/status/1147869732072284161?s=21
@Darren Swords: he nearly got me
All their plans went up in smoke
No wonder Ireland gets fined for breaches in waste emissions… “It wasn’t me” !!!
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