Pyromaniac Vexillologists: Turning “Culture” into a Burning Passion for Flags

LOYALIST BONFIRES

Religious and Sectarian Symbols
– Statue of the Virgin Mary (2016): Stolen from a Catholic church in Derry and burned on a bonfire in east Belfast, causing widespread outrage.
– Photographs of Pope Francis (2022): Burned on bonfires in north Belfast, alongside other Catholic symbols.
– Effigies of Pope John Paul II were burned in the 1990s, especially during Catholic events like World Youth Day.
– Images and effigies of Pope Benedict XVI were burned in Carrickfergus, Ballymoney, and Belfast during the 2010s.
– Sacred Heart pictures, a central Catholic symbol, were burned in Ballymena, Coleraine, and Lurgan during the 1980s and 1990s.
– Statues of St. Patrick were burned in Ballymoney (1991) and Belfast in subsequent years, taken from Catholic churches.
– Statues of St. Brigid were burned in Portadown (1997) alongside other Catholic items.
– Rosary beads, representing Catholic devotion, were burned on bonfires in Belfast, Ballymena, and Portadown starting in the 1980s.
– Crosses painted with "KAT" (Kill All Taigs) were burned in Newtownards and Ballyclare, with such displays continuing into the 2020s.
– Mock crosses with "RIP Taigs" were burned in Belfast in 2023.
– Hymn books and Bibles were burned during partition-era bonfires in the 1920s and 1930s.
– Church pews, altar cloths, and other stolen Catholic church items were burned in Lisburn, Lurgan, and Portadown during the 1970s and 1980s.
– Effigy of Fr. Matt Wallace (2013): A noose-hung effigy of the Catholic priest was burned in Belfast after his death by suicide.
– Mock statues of the Virgin Mary were created and burned in Sandy Row and Newtownards in 2015.
– Metal pieces resembling church bells were burned during post-WWII sectarian tensions in the 1940s.

Effigies
– Effigies of Bobby Sands have been burned annually since 1981 in Newtownards, Ballymoney, and Sandy Row.
– Effigies of Gerry Adams were burned in east Belfast in 2002 and throughout the 2010s with slogans like "Gerry and the IRA."
– Effigies of Martin McGuinness were burned in Derry and other locations in 2017 after his death.
– Effigies of John Hume were burned in Coleraine during peace process negotiations in the 1990s.
– Michelle Gildernew, Sinn Féin MP, was mocked with an effigy burned in Enniskillen in 2012.
– Effigies of Éamon de Valera were burned in Belfast and Lisburn during the 1930s partition tensions.
– Effigies of Wolfe Tone were burned in Belfast and Portadown in the 1950s and 1980s.

Flags
– Irish Tricolours are burned annually across Belfast, Ballymena, Coleraine, and Portadown.
– Flags of the four Irish provinces (Ulster, Leinster, Munster, Connacht) have been burned alongside Tricolours in Belfast, Derry, and Ballymena.
– Palestinian flags were burned in Belfast and Portadown during the 2000s and 2010s.
– Polish flags were burned in east Belfast in 2015 during a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment.
– LGBTQ Pride flags have been burned in Newtownards and other areas in the 2020s.

Injuries and Deaths
– July 2022: A man died after falling from a 50-foot bonfire in Larne.
– July 2023: A man was hospitalized after falling from a bonfire in Newtownards.
– July 2025: A bonfire near the Donegall Road in Belfast caused a major incident due to its proximity to an electrical substation. The bonfire contained asbestos, exposing nearby residents and spectators to toxic fumes.
– Annual injuries include burns, falling debris, and fire-related accidents, with reports from Belfast and Lisburn.
– Firefighters have been injured by falling debris and, in some instances, attacked while responding to bonfires.

Costs to Taxpayers

Direct Cleanup Costs
– In 2022, Belfast City Council spent £500,000 on cleaning up after bonfires, including removing hazardous materials such as asbestos and clearing debris from streets.
– Additional costs are incurred for removing illegally dumped materials, such as tires and pallets, often used in bonfire construction.

Property Protection
– Every year, tens of thousands of pounds are spent on protecting homes, businesses, and public infrastructure.
– Protective scaffolding, fire-resistant barriers, and water spray systems are installed around properties at risk of fire damage.
– In 2025, scaffolding and barriers were erected to protect homes near the Donegall Road bonfire, costing £40,000 for that single site.

Emergency Services
– Fire and Rescue Services are on high alert during bonfire season, deploying additional crews to monitor bonfires and respond to emergencies.
– In 2023, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service responded to 90 bonfire-related incidents, including multiple fires spreading to nearby buildings.
– Police Services (PSNI) deploy extra officers to monitor bonfires, prevent violence, and investigate hate-related incidents. In 2023, policing costs for bonfire-related activities exceeded £1 million.

Environmental Costs
– Toxic emissions from burning asbestos, tires, and other hazardous materials contribute to long-term environmental damage.
– Cleanup of contaminated soil and air pollution resulting from bonfires is estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds annually.