Hundreds of mattresses have been brought to the site of a controversial Eleventh Night bonfire in Co Antrim.
It is understood the mattresses, which when set alight can give off toxic fumes and smoke, were delivered to the Craigyhill area of Larne in recent days.
In previous years, serious concerns have been raised about the safety of the bonfire, which is near where 36-year-old John Steele fell to his death while helping to build a bonfire in the Antiville area in 2022.
Posts on social media suggests that up to 1,600 mattresses and a trailer load of pallets have already been delivered to the site around three months before Eleventh Night celebrations.
The bonfire has made headlines in recent years over attempts by the organisers to set an official world record for height.
However, their hopes went up in flames last year when Guinness World Records confirmed it would not send an adjudicator to the event.
The current world record is more than 198ft, for a pyre built in Austria.
Organisers say building work on this year’s Craigyhill bonfire is due to begin next month.
Pictures of mattresses being unloaded from a lorry trailer have been posted on a Facebook page and are accompanied by the words “another 40 footer full of mattresses…booooom”.
Another post shows dozens of mattresses being taken from a large van along with the message “when you have 600 mattresses arrive at your bonfire site…and still another 1,000 or more still to come”.
Another post this month shows a picture of a lorry with its signage and registration obscured along with the message: “Things you like to see…pallets getting delivered (free ones).”
Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly urged bonfire builders to rethink their actions.
“Having hundreds of mattresses in a bonfire clearly shows the organisers have no concern for the well-being of others,” he said.
“I urge them to remove these mattresses before it is too late.
“Burning items such as mattresses can release dangerous chemicals and toxic smoke into the atmosphere. Local residents will be the ones who will suffer of this if these mattresses are lit as part of this bonfire.”
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council was contacted.
by Seamus_Hean3y
19 comments
Where or who or what in the name of fuck lol
Might have this all wrong. The mattresses might not be for burning. They might be to break the falls this year.
“Culture.”
Local green spaces in Belfast have been filling up with pallets, mattresses, sofas since early February. Other cultures have fun floats and giant paper dragons, our culture is apparently making public rubbish tips.
So, the carcass will bounce this time?
Can a company dump mattresses on council land and just drive off instead of disposing of them correctly? Thousands of single mattresses, someone must know the source of them and the company behind it.
Surely if 600 mattresses are arriving in a truck it has to be a company illegally disposing of waste? There has to be some environmental law broken somewhere?
Absolute waste.
This is literally just fly-tipping by some company that needed to get rid of a pile of dirty mattresses, it’s illegal and it should be investigated.
Love the post flair though
Did Dream Apartments finally spring for some new mattresses then?
Are the mattresses to break their fall rather than for burning
Gazmac is on his way now to tell us how this is about culture and identity!
You’d imagine it would be illegal to burn commercial waste on Council land. You’d imagine it would be illegal to build temporary structures on council land. You’d imagine the council will be seeking help from the PSNI to find out who was fly tipping / anyone who would be building structures, burning waste, holding raves etc.
Totally normal country.
Mattress smoke is the stiffener to a good loyalist, cans of Carling for circulation, pallet wood for nostalgia and mattress smoke to rise the pecker
Babees will be conceived the night they’re burnt
Least they’ll bounce off something other than the ground this time
Perhaps this fucking ridiculous display of racism should be banned? If we burnt a load of union jacks every year the uk would be pissed and rightfully so. Outrageous that this shite goes on in this day and age. Shame of you
Dirty mike and the boys are going to use them for a super orgy. Thanks for the soldier F shack craigyhill
I wonder if they’ll near burn down the best leisure centre in east Belfast again this year.
Fucking disgraceful
It’s a fundamental part of my culture pointing and laughing at these fucking idiots as they plummet to the ground and splat onto concrete like the sack of shite they are