Huge bonfires to usher in twelfth of July celebrations

By David Young

Huge bonfires will be lit in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland on Tuesday night to usher in the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season - the 'Twelfth of July'.

The traditional 'Eleventh Night' fires mark the start of commemorations to honour the victory of the Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1690.

The towering structures, most built with stacks of wooden pallets, will draw thousands of onlookers - but they are often the source of controversy.

This year has been no different, with Belfast City Council securing a court order to prevent further construction on four bonfires in the east of the city amid safety concerns.

Last year, a number of terraced homes adjacent to the Hopewell Square bonfire in Belfast's Shankill Road were badly damaged when a blaze broke out on the roofs. It was caused by hot embers blown on the wind.

Advocates of the bonfires portray them as a family-friendly, spectacular celebration of loyalist/Protestant culture.

Their detractors claim they are potentially dangerous, environmentally damaging, magnets for anti-social behaviour and alienating to nationalists.

In recent years, bonfire builders have faced criticism after items linked to the nationalist/republican tradition - such as Irish flags and posters and effigies of high-profile politicians - have been placed on the top of some of the fires and torched.

The bonfires will burn ahead of Wednesday's Twelfth of July commemorations.

While the vast majority of the almost 600 Protestant loyal order parades are free of trouble each year, the threat of disorder at a small number of flashpoints always has the potential to mar the day.

There is cautious optimism this year's Twelfth will pass off without major incident.

Orangemen and nationalist residents at the most contentious parade - at Woodvale/Ardoyne in north Belfast - have struck a deal that aims to reduce tensions in the area on Wednesday.