Bonfire night is almost upon us. It’s a strange tradition that only seems to be recognised in some counties in Ireland, Cork being one of them. It’s a tradition that we could do without in my humble opinion.
If some unfortunate alien happened to find himself wandering around Cork City on 23rd June he would be surprised to find people setting fire to the place. He would probably conclude that he had called at a bad time and start up his spaceship and try his luck on another planet.
Apparently this strange activity is part of Midsummer celebrations and traditionally takes place on the eve of The Feast of St John. I’m not sure why St. John is associated with fire, maybe he was an arsonist back in the day, but those responsible for coming up with this form of veneration could have done us all a favour by designing something more mundane.
The bonfire got this name because in the past old bones were burned in the fire. In fact in the Irish language the bonfire is called “Tine Cnáimh” which literally means fire of bones. Stick with me and you’ll learn stuff.
In olden days the fires had to be lit in a circle exactly at sunset and had to be watched until the next morning. They would burn turf, furze bushes, firewood and weeds. Prayers would be said to get God’s blessing for healthy crops. There would also be some singing and dancing and general hell-raising.
There were lots of superstitions associated with Bonfire Night and those with new homes would use the flame to light their first home fire. They also used the flame to light fires around their homes to keep the fairies away. Other items were burned so as to bring bad luck to an enemy and they would also take ashes from the fire and spread them over their land to protect their crops.
As might be expected in Ireland, there was plenty of eating and drinking! As the flames and sparks shot up, loud cheers would arise from the crowd, horns were blown and some people beat on tin cans. The musicians did their thing and the dancers did theirs. Songs were sung and stories were told.
There were two fire traditions, the large communal fire, lit by the townspeople, or perhaps by the inhabitants of the entire parish, and the small, family fires lit by the members of a household. The communal fires were a place for merriment while the family fires were subdued occasions marked by ceremonies invoking protection on flock or fields.
This was all fairly harmless stuff back then but fast forward to more recent times and it became obvious that these celebrations were becoming a bit of a problem. The original concept of Bonfire Night had become lost along the way and it had now become more of an excuse for people to burn their rubbish.
In the days leading up to Bonfire Night, youngsters would be drawing all kinds of stuff to be burned. Timber, boxes, pallets, bushes, tyres and old furniture. As it got closer to the event, many used it as an excuse to get rid of rubbish and that too was thrown on the heap. It didn’t matter whether it could actually burn or not.
Fireworks are illegal but it was not uncommon to hear them on Bonfire Night. Anti -social behaviour was associated with most fires along with drunken noisy disorder that often went on throughout the night. It sometimes continued through the following day as well.
It wasn’t unusual for things to get completely out of hand resulting in injuries from brawls and drunken assaults.
I can recall looking out over Cork City on several Bonfire Nights in the early hours of the morning and looking at scenes that were reminiscent of a disaster movie. A cloud of thick black smoke as far as the eye could see. I can remember seeing fires lighting on streets and main thoroughfares, next to houses and factories.
Over the years, Bus Eireann has suffered damage to their fleet and at times this had led to the withdrawal of the bus service from certain areas. The Fire Service too has had equipment damaged and some personnel have been injured as a result of anti- social behaviour.
Many of these bonfires were getting out of control and Bonfire Night was becoming a problem night for the emergency services. Many residents across the city were fed up with it so something had to change.
And change it did. Cork City Council, Cork City Fire Service and An Garda Siochana put structures in place to regulate bonfires and the anti-social behaviour that has traditionally been associated with them. The long term aim of the initiative is to replace unauthorised bonfires with controlled events suitable for families.
In recent years a more civilised form of celebrating Bonfire Night has replaced the havoc that previously existed. A number of Park Events have been organised throughout the city each year which include entertainment for kids and teenagers and a number of controlled bonfires. Each location is supervised by City Council officials and RAPID Coordinators and Community Gardai.
Cork City Fire Service has dealt with fewer calls since this initiative was introduced and incidents of anti-social behaviour and public order have also greatly reduced.
I’m not so sure what St. John makes of this development but I’m certain that many of the living are very grateful for this intervention. Not only is life more bearable for many residents on Bonfire Night but the city has also become a less frightening spectacle for any visiting aliens.