Bonfire Night

D

DeeFox

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I'm not sure if Bonfire night is a Cork tradition or if there were bonfires all over the country last night?

Every year on June 23rd it is the same thing - over 150 callouts to the fire brigade, a fire brigade had a window smashed and objects were thrown at Firemen.

A lovely green area close to my workplace is sporting a big black patch today. It is surrounded by a half burnt three seater couch and a few burnt chairs. Lots of broken bottles and rubbish strewn around. I imagine the cost of the clean up all over the city will be huge.

I heard a Councillor on the radio earlier (didn't catch his name) who said he was disgusted by the behaviour of some people in the Churchfield area. He saw fridges, ovens, furniture and rubbish being thrown onto the bonfire there.

What sort of person throws a fridge onto a bonfire?? And then abuses the Guards and Firemen when they come to deal with the mess??

I despair of our society, I really do.
 
Happens in the NE too.

The bonfires and the reckless antisocial behaviour that is.
 
Its meant to be for children but people just abuse it, i saw a neightbour dumping half the contents of his garage into a bonfire last night, I think a school in the glanmire area got damaged from flames.
 
Bonfires all over the place in my local midlands area last night. No problems at any of them. Some had bands, music and chipper vans as they had when I was a kid. I know they might cause problems in built-up areas but it's one my favourite nights of the year, especially if the weather's good. I've never seen any serious trouble (and certainly never seen fridges or cookers on a fire!!) and I'd hate 'our' version to be wiped out or sanitised to make it more acceptable.

The weird thing is that 20 miles up the road, nobody has ever heard of it and look at me like I'm mental when I talk about it.
 
I heard that a farmer on the outskirts of Cork was taking advantage of the situation and burning off a field of old grass yesterday evening.
 
I went outside yesterday evening and got a lovely smell of the bonfire, brought me back to childhood. We used to love the bonfire every year.

I hope the tradition can continue without the anti social behavior.
 
I've never even heard of this before?

Does it happen in dublin as well ( if so i really need to get out more) or just down the country.

A new date to add to my diary.
 
But i didn't say "wish" so it doesnt count.

Are they really that bad or is it just a small minority. You get the same in November aswell there's always 1 ( maybe 2 ) that ruin it for everyone else.

Terrible behaviour towards the firemen and guards.
 
From what I've seen in Cork and what a friend who works in the locality tells me, they're not the type of event I'd like to participate in or would want in my own area.
 
Growing up in a working class area of Cork I loved it as a child. Would be looking forward to it for about a month and each area competed for the biggest bonfire. Know affectionately in Cork as "Bonna" night it always seemed to attract trouble no matter how well organised.
As a kid I remember my mother saying it was great when she was young but its a troublesome night now.
My memories of it are probably rose tinted. Last night I drove the missus around Cork to see the various bonnas. She is from Tipperary and couldn't believe the big fires in housing estates.
Some were well organised and others were mini riots. I saw one last night which was burning out of control and the kids/teenagers were stoning the Fire Brigade and Gardai. Amid the chaos a Mr Whippy Van was doing a roaring trade. A bit surreal to watch.
 
Kids or not they should have been bundled in the back of a paddy wagon and taken off to spend the night in a cell and have their parents come get them the next day.
 
The_Banker said:
I saw one last night which was burning out of control and the kids/teenagers were stoning the Fire Brigade and Gardai. Amid the chaos a Mr Whippy Van was doing a roaring trade. A bit surreal to watch.
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I laughed out loud at this!!

As the OP, I have fond memories of "bonna night" when I was young and I love the smell of fires burning. We were very innocent - the highlight for me would have been toasting marshmallows on a small fire close to the bigger fire. This was pre Celtic Tiger in the days when absolutely everything got recycled - no way would furniture, no matter how old and decrepit it was, get thrown on a fire.
It's the yob behaviour that I hate - the people who leave personal responsiblity at the door and go crazy for the night. Leaving a big mess for someone else to clean up.
 
samanthajane said:
You get the same in November aswell...
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Might depend on where you live. A lot of areas (inc. my own) seem to completely ignore 05/11 regarding it as an essentially British celebration of the execution of a Roman Catholic republican.
 
Sorry yeah i just typed without thinking.

Even after nearly 11 years in Ireland of not having bonfire night on the 5th Nov i still always think of it as Nov.
 
samanthajane said:
I've never even heard of this before?

Does it happen in dublin as well ( if so i really need to get out more) or just down the country.

A new date to add to my diary.
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Doesnt happen in Dublin. First time I've ever heard of it - you learn something new every day.
 
I can't understand the mentality of people when it comes to bonfires...it really seems to send some people completely mental !

Between the burning of cars and attacking the Fire Brigade when they answer the call, to (the worst I've ever heard) the case of a dog being put into a bonfire on 05/11, before it was lit.

I feel sick just reading that now. So I'll remove it if anyone thinks I should.
 
annR said:
Kids or not they should have been bundled in the back of a paddy wagon and taken off to spend the night in a cell and have their parents come get them the next day.
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+1. A stick of birch wouldn't go astray either.
 
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