Loyalists For Global Warming: Burning Passions In Northern Ireland
GLOBAL warming has nothing on the heat of passion that beats within loyalist breasts.
As part of Northern Ireland’s loyalist celebrations on the Ballycraig estate, Antrim, a fire is being built.
On the eve of the Battle of the Boyne, at which the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James, locals will set the pile alight, possibly with a flaming Vauxhall Nova.
Twice the height of nearby houses, this toxic cake of wooden pallets interlaced with rubber tyres dominates the skyline. On its top sits an Irish tricolour, ready to burn.
Hardline Islamists can only look on in envy - while they burn the Union Jack with handheld lighters and matches, Northern Ireland’s loyalists construct a towering inferno and cover it in petrol.
But what of the damage, you ask?
Councillor Drew Ritchie, leader of the town’s bonfire committee, says: “I don’t think it would be practical to say there were would be no tyres this year in Ballycraigy.
“We will be re-constituting our committee again in September and we will be working hard to try to ensure that next year, we have a better and safer environment.”
The SDLP’s Thomas Burns says the mountain is extremely dangerous “not only for those in its immediate vicinity but also for the environment”.
By better environment the councillors mean not the removal of Catholics from the Province (at least we think not) but the air.
For reason of global warming, the region’s Stoneyford fire has been replaced by a medieval-style beacon. A certain Mark Harbinson calls this a “genuine attempt to move away from the traditional bonfire”.
Says he: “It’s the only one in Northern Ireland at the moment but I’m hoping the idea will spread in coming years.”
Spread like wildfire and fanned by the Pope who says, via the Mail, that “Protestants aren’t proper Christians”. All branches of Christianity that split with Rome after the Reformation cannot be called churches “in the proper sense”, says Benedict XVI.
Paddy. Proddy, Big Ears. Noddy. Why bother with the pallets and tyres and not just set fire to the churches?
July 11th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
protestants are so ill informed - they march up and down the road shouting abuse and waving flags celebrating the victory of an ancient battle , the site where the battle was fought is situtated in another country - the republic of ireland - a country which will very soon include the north of ireland within its borders, ultimately they have to celebrate ancient victories because it has been such a long time since the protestants of the north of ireland have won anything - theyre time of persecution of the native irish and their racist treatment of catholics is at an end - they need to wise up and move on, for whilst they burn huge bonfires with irish flags atop they dont realise that a united ireland is closer noe than it ever has been and day by day cross border policies are being implemented in preparation for this day - they need to realise that although they consider themselves british and wave the union jack the people of britain proper couldnt care less about the people of northern ireland - i lived in england for five years and i never came across one person who either knew anything or gave a shit - british people dont know you or want you your lost in a sea of green my friends,
ultimately you need to realise that you as protestants stopped being british a long time ago - your accent your sense of humour the food you eat are the exact same as the native irish - why? because you are irish.
erin go bragh!!!
July 11th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
British people dont want you ???? Thats a laugh we are British you idiot , as for bonfires their just a bit of fun , this is one bonfire out of hundreds , 90 percent of the fires are just wooden and not this big .And no Im not Irish and dont need you to tell me what nationality I am
Your sectarian views are not needed nowadays in Northern Ireland and as for your view that a united Ireland is just around the corner , well we ve all been hearing that for years , didnt you know Gerry Adams and his party are loving governing this part of Britain and supporting the PSNI.
Ulster is British
July 11th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Well thats a nice sectarian rant from Pat . Shows how racist Republicans really are , anti British , Anti Orange and Anti Protestant . Lets hope he is as quick to condemn the Catholic bonfires to celebrate the end of internment or the Guy Fawkes bonfires
Or maybe he would try and condemn the attempted burning down of Protestant community halls by republican thugs over the past few days ?
However you equate having a bonfire remembering an ancient war with being racist is beyond me , the Battle of the Boyne was about Protestants breaking away from the Catholic Church .
I dont wanna rant on but you really need to get a grip and realise how stupid your post is . You condemn Protestants for a bonfire yet your very own Pope has just said all other churches are not real. The Pope is being racist towards all other religions , maybe you should open your eyes a little bit wider in future.
July 11th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I think id be more worried about what the Pope has been saying lately rather than a few tyres on a bonfire . His latest utterings on the true church are disgusting and sickiening.
July 11th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Well thats a nice sectarian rant from Pat . Shows how racist Republicans really are , anti British , Anti Orange and Anti Protestant . Lets hope he is as quick to condemn the Catholic bonfires to celebrate the end of internment or the Guy Fawkes bonfires
Or maybe he would try and condemn the attempted burning down of Protestant community halls by republican thugs over the past few days ?
However you equate having a bonfire remembering an ancient war with being racist is beyond me , the Battle of the Boyne was about Protestants breaking away from the Catholic Church .
I dont wanna rant on but you really need to get a grip and realise how stupid your post is . You condemn Protestants for a bonfire yet your very own Pope has just said all other churches are not real. The Pope is being racist towards all other religions , maybe you should open your eyes a little bit wider in future.
July 11th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
i am not racist or sectarian i am married to an english protestant whos father is a vicar and i live in a loyalist area of derry - you misunderstand what i am trying to say, the fact of the matter is you celebrate ancient battles which no one other than a few protestants in the north of ireland bother to remember not even the dutch who where so instrumental in the victory gained on that day. it matters to no one other a few hardliners and your kind are dying out - what makes the bonfire racist is the burning of the irish flag a flag which was created to show that we are all irish the green signifies the catholics the orange the protestants and the white in the middle signifies the peace between us - burning the irish flag in previous years was seen as an act of war , thankfully most of the north have since matured and we can all but a few see that such acts are from much darker times long since forgotten by most and hopefully never known by those who dont know already. the english dont want anything to do with northern ireland if you have ever lived there and spoken to average englishman they couldnt tell the difference between a loyalist and a nationalist they simply werent educated about our respective plights and points of view - theyre main concerns whilst we were blowing the shit out of each other was how to pay their rent and what bianca said to ricky in eastenders. protestants mark their territory with union jacks and paint the kerbs red white and blue , why? because they have to remind the world that even though they walk talk and act like an irish man they still consider themselves british , when in reality you are far mar irish than i am british - (2oo years before the british arrived) never diluted by an english man many invaders have come but none have suceeded in ruining my or irelands identity, just because a line on a map is drawn does not suddenly make me british its whats in your heart that matters - and in mine i am irish not english never will be no matter how long your here so relax enjoy your bonfire and ill enjoy st paddys day soon we shall all be irish and we can celebrate irish independance day together.
by the way you refer to ulster as if it were the same place as “northern ireland” its not - northern ireland is a false state drawn up by the british in 1922 and includes the counties of - fermanagh,tyrone,armagh,antrim,derry,down
ulster is one of the four provinces of irelands ancient kingdoms in existence from before the romans controlled britain - these are ulster, munster , connacht and leinster, and ulster contains three extra counties which are currently part of the republic - cavan, monaghan and donegal - so to use any phrase with the word ulster in it when talking about anything other than the all ireland gaa championship shows only your lack of knowledge of the geography and history of the country you live.
peace my protestant brothers.
enjoy the 12th soon maybe i will celebrate with you guys -(once you stop being so violent)
July 11th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
by the way - phil from ni
catholics do not celebrate guy fawkes night - it is only the protestants and english who do, you might need to recap on your history. guy fawkes was the mastermind of a catholic plot to overthrow the protestant goverment so protestants celebrate its failure and place an ephigy of guy fawkes at the top - just so you know
and by the way any act of violence towards any one from person of any religion is disgusting and i do not agree with what the pope said either
god bless
July 11th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
There is no difference in race between N.Ireland, the rest of the UK and Eire, just a matter of nationality.
And difference between religion is just that, its is not being racist between RC, C of E and C of I, you all worship the same deity in your different ways
July 12th, 2007 at 12:39 am
I grew up on the shankill, I live in Brighton now, married with 3 kids, living a happy healthy vegan life, with a bit of booze and weed of course. This picture brings back amazing memories of staying out guarding the wood from other bonfires that would come and raid us. I still have fond memories of pulling derelict houses apart to get doors, rafters etc, and obviously some copper and lead to sell to the scrap metal man. When I was a kid and I went to my grannies in bangor, I watched bands parade with my best mate Darren who was a catholic. Neither of us give a shit about catholic/protestant, it was just like a little festival. It’s a shame that communities have become so polarized that many catholics want to stamp out protestant working class culture, and they do it at their peril. Respect works both ways my friends, and remember, it’s not the catholics or the protestants who are being shafted these days, it’s the working class, and that includes all sides. Come together and fight the real inequalities, not this historical psuedo-religious crap. The Irish Government is no better or worse than the British Government, and both are practically governed by the EU anyway. I wish I was at a bonfire tonight!!
July 12th, 2007 at 3:08 am
big deal , big bad protestants burn a flag on their bonfire , just happens to be the flag of Eire , that country TO WHERE THE IRA flee after carrying out murderous attacks across the border , some are even still living there freee from the threat of arrest , Catholics burn the union jack on their bonfires , will you mouth off about that too ? No i bet you dont,
Yes Protestants paint some kerbstones red white and blue….and guess what …catholics paint their green white and orange….your so one sided its unbelieve ,your trying to make out that Protestants do this that and the other thing and yet Catholics do the exact same things in their areas , you need to wise up
No one needs a history lesson here , northern ireland is british because a majority both catholic and protestant want it to be….you say your not sectarian yet you call an internationally recognised country a ‘false state’ , every sentence you post reeks of sectarianism and hatred toowards the people of Northern Ireland.
Ive never lived in england wales scotland or the falklands but I wouldnt dream of telling them they aint british , you also say only a few protestants celebrate the twelfth , you know very well your lying , you know full well that 100s of thousands will take part or watch 18 major parades on the 12th day , Belfast alone attracts 100 , 000 people . Your posts are full of lies and twisted statements.
Your entitled to think a united ireland is close but you know its further away than its ever been , so now you try and demonise Protestants , calling them violent ,calling them racist , oh by the way 3 orange halls were attacked by republican catholic thugs in the past 2 days….is this OK ?
If you wanna call yourself Irish thats fine but why try and tell others what they should be , the people of Northern Ireland withstood 35 years of bloody murder and mayhem from the IRA so i dont think they are easily going be pushed into an All Ireland sectarian state.
By the way …im not lost in a sea of green , you are nothing but a sad ,hateful bigot , northern ireland doesnt need people with your stupid views anymore, people are free to celebrate their history on both sides and bombs and bullets wont stop them and your little rants against Protestants definetly wont. I noticed you said nothing about the Protestant halls being burnt , still more worried about a few tyres on a bonfire that you wont be seeing ??????????/
And how the hell can a bonfire be racist ?? Its people who are racist ??? You know each side burns the opposite flag so whats the big deal…you only bring up one side to keep condemning…so its just proves you are a total bigot.
July 12th, 2007 at 3:21 am
by the way , i know your acting dumb but anyway …Ulster is what Protestants aaffectionally call Northern Ireland today but you know this anyway.
Yes i know Ulster was one of the four provinces , but hey guess what…? We live in todays world , i dont lack knowledge of history but you seem to lack reality when it suits you. Oh and also a line on the map wasnt just drawn…it was an agreed solution..as you would know seeing as you know your history so much.
July 12th, 2007 at 3:27 am
im glad to say that many northern ireland people served their country against such foes as the most racist person in history..ADOLF HITLER….what was the brave IRA doing during the war ????? Thats right they were assiting the Nazis , lol and you have the cheek to call people racist…unbelievable.
July 12th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I have just read in the news that on top of one of these “bonfires”, the names of two catholic boys who had died tragically were painteed on a carpet with the phrase ” WHO’S NEXT “.
Why do this? This is absolutely disgusting. No wonder we the Brits dont want anything to do with Northern ireland, if this is what you call fun???
You are a disgrace and to call yourselves British, shames me.
July 12th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Martin, this kind of “tasteless” antagonism is part of the fabric of working class communities in Northern Ireland and occurs equally in both communities, just as rightwing and islamic fundamentalism does here in the mainland.
You cannot Tar an entire community simply becasue certain elements of it do things that you find repugnant. Are all muslims evil?, all Germans? not to mention all British for the havoc they’re dragged around the globe for as far as history can remember?
July 12th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Dave, so you are saying, that what they did is okay?
I think we have done a lot wrong around the world as an empire/government, but please show me where when innocent children have died in terrible circumstances, the normal man in the street has rejoiced about it.
Did any of these orangemen complain about it, or get it taken down?
July 12th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
I’m not saying it’s “ok”, but having grew up on the shankill I’m pretty well versed in the slagging and bitching that goes on and both sides. I can totally understand that to outsiders it is hard to concieve people behave like this, but they do, and they laugh and joke about it, it’s mad as fuck, but it’s the way it is. Regardless of mockery though, a thousand people taking the piss out of someone who is dead is nothing compared to someone being killed, and the protestant community of Northern Ireland suffered immensly through the troubles.The world has pandered to the republican cause and the unionist people have been generally mocked and written off. It’s an ignorant pompous view, and nothing short of an attempt to deny an entire community of it’s rights of self expression and celebration.
Saying did any of these orangemen complain is ridiculous. The only comparrisson I can think of is expecting someone like Ian Duncan Smith to walk into a council estate in Manchester and demand that they stop smoking pot. But even Ian would have more chance of achieving anything!
The Bottom line is, most working class protestants in N.I. are good decent people, and issues of tyres, size and environmental concerns aside, they should be entitled to their bonfire night too.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Well its a great pity you didnt keep on reading the news or maybe you are really just a republican poster pretending your from the mainland …
..maybe you didnt notice in the news that the bonfires were peaceful and that the parades today were all peaceful EXCEPT that republican youths threw bricks and bottles through the windows of buses carrying men women and children home from their day out at the Orange parades ????
Or maybe you completely missed the part where 4 Protestant Halls were targetted by republican arsonists ????
Im just glad most republicans and loyalists have started to move beyond violence and have become a little more tolerant , its time to leave the bigots behind and that includes those who only see the bad on one side and close their eyes to the violence from their own community
July 12th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Did any republican polticans say anything when REPUBLICANS scrawled obscene graffti on walls rejoicing in the death of Princess Di and the QUEEN MUM , did they condemn the graffti rejoicing in the 9 / 11 against America ????