Corcrain bonfire in Portadown hailed a success and 'an example of how to do things'
The Corcrain bonfire in Portadown has been hailed a success.
It was torched on Thursday night, while a crowd of thousands looked on.
He said the reason the pyre is lit on the 10th, not the usual Eleventh Night, is because there are five bonfires in the town, so they are staggered (starting on July 1, the Somme anniversary) to maximise the number which residents can get to.
According to one online estimate, the bonfire consisted of some 225 rows of pallets, equating to about 106 feet in height.
Preceding it was a funfair, band performances, and fireworks, with the pyre itself lit at about 11.30pm.
"It went off brilliantly," he said.
"One of the best yet, and probably one of the largest crowds, with no trouble, no hassle.
"There seems to be a lot of negativity this year [about bonfires] for some reason from some quarters, but this was a prime example of how to do things.
"They haven't burnt any political emblems or posters, election posters, or any banners or anything like that for quite a number of years now, and I think that helps – in some cases anyway – to draw more people in.
"That's what the organisers to do, and fair play to them.
"All in all, an excellent night, and probably one of the largest you'd have in all of Northern Ireland."
Also burned on Thursday was the ‘migrant boat’ Moygashel pyre.
Be sure and stay tuned to the News Letter over the next 24 hours for all of our Twelfth of July coverage.