Eleventh night
Encyclopedia
In Northern Ireland
, the Eleventh Night or 11th Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July
, an annual Protestant commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne
(12 July 1690). On this night, many Protestant, unionist
and loyalist
communities in Northern Ireland light bonfire
s. It is also known as "bonfire night", in common with other events in which bonfires are lit
.
and Down
to aid King William III
's navigation through Belfast Lough
(then Carrickfergus Lough) at night. William landed at Carrickfergus
with English, French and Dutch forces with which to fight the exiled King James II, who had been trying to regain his British kingdoms through support amongst Roman Catholics of France and Ireland.
Bonfires in Northern Ireland
traditionally mark the night before the Twelfth. However, should the Twelfth fall on a Sunday, as it did in 2009, the public holiday
is given in lieu on the preceding Monday. This means that some bonfires may also be held on a Sunday night.
and loyalist
paramilitary
displays. Symbols of Irish nationalism
/republicanism
(such as the Irish tricolour
) and symbols of Catholicism
are sometimes burnt on the bonfires. The tricolours on such bonfires are often daubbed with sectarian slogans such as "Kill All Taig
s" (KAT) or "Kill All Irish" (KAI). Loyalist paramilitaries, such as the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), have also used Eleventh Night bonfires to hold "shows of strength" – which often involve masked gunmen firing volleys of shots into the air.
Another issue that has been raised is drunkenness and violence amongst those attending.
Bonfires are often built to be as large as possible. In the past, and in some cases even now, bonfires have been built close to houses and council flat complexes, amongst other buildings. Roads are often damaged, and, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation
, clean-up and repairs made to roads due to bonfire-related damage can "cost thousands of pounds", with some roads needing to be resurfaced.
A major concern of bonfires that has risen to greater prominence in recent years is the pollution
they cause. In some bonfires, despite bans by bodies such as Belfast City Council
, tyres are burnt. Tyres produce many toxic chemical compound
s when burnt, and therefore pose a major health issue.
A more environmentally-friendly bonfire design, known as a beacon due to its pyramid shape, is enclosed in a metal cage, and made from willow chips, made from willow trees which re-grow within a year of being cut down. This makes the new beacon design of bonfire carbon neutral
. The new design is being used in some areas of Belfast, where communities are given £
1,200 for using these bonfires.
However, some Unionist communities oppose the beacon design, claiming that it infringes upon their culture.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, the Eleventh Night or 11th Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July
The Twelfth
The Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...
, an annual Protestant commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
(12 July 1690). On this night, many Protestant, unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
and loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
communities in Northern Ireland light bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
s. It is also known as "bonfire night", in common with other events in which bonfires are lit
Bonfire Night
Bonfire Night may refer to:* Bonfire Night, several traditions of bonfire celebrations* Guy Fawkes Night, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth nations * St John's Eve, in Ireland and Scandinavia...
.
History of bonfires on the eleventh night
Traditionally, bonfires are lit to commemorate the lighting of bonfires on the hills of AntrimCounty Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
and Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
to aid King William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
's navigation through Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons. The outer lough is restricted to mainly rocky shores with some small sandy bays...
(then Carrickfergus Lough) at night. William landed at Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
with English, French and Dutch forces with which to fight the exiled King James II, who had been trying to regain his British kingdoms through support amongst Roman Catholics of France and Ireland.
Bonfires in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
traditionally mark the night before the Twelfth. However, should the Twelfth fall on a Sunday, as it did in 2009, the public holiday
Public holidays in the United Kingdom
Public holidays in the United Kingdom are the public holidays observed in some or all of the countries of the United Kingdom. Most businesses and non-essential services are closed on public holidays, although an increasing number of retail businesses do open on some of the public holidays.Although...
is given in lieu on the preceding Monday. This means that some bonfires may also be held on a Sunday night.
Criticism
Sectarianism and violence
Some Eleventh Night bonfires involve sectarianSectarianism
Sectarianism, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.The ideological...
and loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
displays. Symbols of Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
/republicanism
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
(such as the Irish tricolour
Flag of Ireland
The national flag of Ireland is a vertical tricolour of green , white, and orange. It is also known as the Irish tricolour. The flag proportion is 1:2...
) and symbols of Catholicism
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
are sometimes burnt on the bonfires. The tricolours on such bonfires are often daubbed with sectarian slogans such as "Kill All Taig
Taig
Taig is a derogatory term for an Irish Catholic. It is mainly used by sectarian loyalists in Northern Ireland and Scotland. It has been used in sectarian slogans such as "Kill All Taigs" , "All Taigs Are Targets" and "Any Taig Will Do"...
s" (KAT) or "Kill All Irish" (KAI). Loyalist paramilitaries, such as the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), have also used Eleventh Night bonfires to hold "shows of strength" – which often involve masked gunmen firing volleys of shots into the air.
Another issue that has been raised is drunkenness and violence amongst those attending.
Environmental concerns
As with other bonfires, those on the eleventh night have raised both health and safety concerns, as well as environmental ones, particularly due to the use of tyres and the close proximity to buildings of some bonfires.Bonfires are often built to be as large as possible. In the past, and in some cases even now, bonfires have been built close to houses and council flat complexes, amongst other buildings. Roads are often damaged, and, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, clean-up and repairs made to roads due to bonfire-related damage can "cost thousands of pounds", with some roads needing to be resurfaced.
A major concern of bonfires that has risen to greater prominence in recent years is the pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
they cause. In some bonfires, despite bans by bodies such as Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
, tyres are burnt. Tyres produce many toxic chemical compound
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
s when burnt, and therefore pose a major health issue.
A more environmentally-friendly bonfire design, known as a beacon due to its pyramid shape, is enclosed in a metal cage, and made from willow chips, made from willow trees which re-grow within a year of being cut down. This makes the new beacon design of bonfire carbon neutral
Carbon neutral
Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference...
. The new design is being used in some areas of Belfast, where communities are given £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1,200 for using these bonfires.
However, some Unionist communities oppose the beacon design, claiming that it infringes upon their culture.
See also
- The TwelfthThe TwelfthThe Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...
- Orange Order
- Unionism in IrelandUnionism in IrelandUnionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
- History of Northern IrelandHistory of Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is today one of the four countries of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, having been created as a separate legal entity on 3 May 1921, under the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
- The TroublesThe TroublesThe Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...