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It's nearly Bonfire Night in Northern Ireland!

In Northern Ireland, the Eleventh Night or 11th Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, a yearly Ulster Protestant celebration. On this night, large towering bonfires are lit in many Protestant/loyalist neighbourhoods in Northern Ireland and are often accompanied by street parties.[1] The bonfires are mostly made up of wooden pallets and tyres, with some reaching over 100 ft tall.[2] The event has been condemned for displays of sectarian or ethnic hatred, anti-social behaviour, and for the damage and pollution caused by the fires. The flag of Ireland, Irish nationalist/republican symbols, Catholic symbols, and effigies, are burnt on many bonfires. There have been attempts to make the event more family-friendly and environmentally-friendly. It is also known as "bonfire night", in common with other events in which bonfires are lit.

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Good luck with this thread.

The event has been condemned for displays of sectarian or ethnic hatred, anti-social behaviour, and for the damage and pollution caused by the fires. The flag of Ireland, Irish nationalist/republican symbols, Catholic symbols, and effigies, are burnt on many bonfires. There have been attempts to make the event more family-friendly and environmentally-friendly.

This is as true today as it ever has been. The Twelfth has never been about inclusivity or respect, always division and celebrating that fact. I mean, MegaBonfire above literally has the polling posters for Sinn Fein, the opposing party of Unionism attached to the bonfire so they can burn them.

Fuck the whole "holiday"
 
Aye. and they sure do love to build huge fucking fires in residential areas. Crazy stuff.

I wonder if they should have thought about RHI around this time of year, burning renewable heat sources instead of car tyres and houses. The sheer amount of pollution that happens in NI this time of year would never get me to move back.
 
How is a night where Irish people get drunk and set things on fire remarkable enough to warrant a holiday?

Like The Twelfth itself, the Eleventh Night is associated with the Glorious Revolution (1688) and Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91). Tradition holds that the bonfires commemorate the lighting of fires on the hills of counties Antrim and Down to help Williamite ships navigate through Belfast Lough at night.[6] Protestant King William III and his forces landed at Carrickfergus to fight the Catholic Jacobites, supporters of the exiled Catholic King James II who was trying to regain the British throne.
Bonfires in Northern Ireland traditionally mark the night before the Twelfth. However, should the Twelfth fall on a Sunday, as it did in 2015, the public holiday is given in lieu on the following Monday. When this situation arises, some bonfires are lit on the Saturday night.

pro-tip, the people who build these fires would not like to be called "Irish".

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kmag

Member
How is a night where Irish people get drunk and set things on fire remarkable enough to warrant a holiday?

They'd probably strap you to the bonfire for calling them Irish.

Basically they're a bunch of inbred bigots, and this 'kultural' display is one of the last vestiges of lording it over the Catholics.

It's basically the wicker man.

It's actually beyond belief that not only is this sort of thing is still allowed, but that the Government actually offers grants for it.
 
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