Bonfires set alight across Northern Ireland ahead of Twelfth celebrations

A huge crowd attended the lighting of the towering Craigyhill bonfire in Larne and another sizeable crowd looked on as the spectacular Corcrain Redmanville bonfire in Portadown was the centre of attention the previous evening.

The bonfire in the Portadown estate was dedicated to Limavady man Sam Dickson, one of the most distinctive figures in the marching band scene who passed away in January.

Mr Dickson took part in many parades each year and was an unmissable figure with his well-presented dogs, nicknamed ‘Ulster’s Marching Akitas’.

A massive banner with Mr Dickson’s photo and bearing the words ‘Sam it’s not goodbye, it’s a see you later’ had been placed on one side of the structure.

“We placed Sam’s banner on the bonfire to let people see how much important he is to us. He was big friend to all of us in the team,” a spokesperson for Loyalist Corcrain Redmanville bonfire said.

"Sam was and still is a big inspiration to all of us.”

Having earlier laid the final pallet the builders of the Corcrain Redmanville posted: “What an emotional journey knowing who we dedicated this structure to.

“A man who no matter when or where he was due to walk, he was dressed to perfection with endless amounts of uniforms. But always not a stitch out of place on him and his three marching Akitas freshly groomed and draped in colours for what is undoubtedly an image that sticks in the heads of loyalists all across our Province.“We've aimed this year to try and replicate Sam's image in such a way that our step-ins are uniform and from the front of our fire there’s not a pallet out of place.”

Before the bonfire was lit a large band parade took place in the estate and onlookers were treated to a spectacular firework display.

Doug Beattie, who had been critical of weekend bonfire with a poster of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on the top of it, said of the Corcrain Redmanville bonfire: “No flags, no posters, no sectarian images... many don’t like bonfires but they are part of our historical culture.

“This was well done – I hope others can follow their lead.”

Meanwhile last night at Craigyhill, the huge pyre which unofficially broke the world record last year, attracted a huge crowd for its ignition.

The bonfire was topped off with a square turret and on top of that a flag that said ‘Oh tell me why?’, a linefrom the song ‘Castles in the Sky’ by Ian Van Dahl.

Last year the bonfire reached a height of more than 202 feet last year, beating the previous world record of 198 feet set in Lustenau, Austria, but with no official Guinness World Records adjudicator to verify the record organisers had hoped one could attend this year’s event.

A crowdfunding page was set up to raise the £9,000 required for adjudication, but the bonfire builders later abandoned those plans and instead made it a fundraiser for one-year-old Pia Grace who requires cancer treatment.

To date they have raised £5,701 for the local girl.

Before the bonfire was lit, a festival welcomed a number of DJs and other musical acts, with food and bouncy castles also set up in the Larne estate.

Meanwhile in Co Tyrone, an image of Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill has been placed on a bonfire.

The picture, along with Irish flags, appeared on the bonfire in the Eastvale area of Dungannon yesterday evening.

DUP MLA Deborah Erskine condemned the picture of Ms O’Neill on the bonfire as “wrong”, and urged those responsible to remove the effigy.

“Numerous events will be held … without burning flags, symbols or effigies, Dungannon should be the same,” she tweeted.

There was condemnation at the weekend when an Irish flag and a picture of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was put on a bonfire in Co Tyrone.

On Tuesday evening, police and community representatives were working together to remove material from a bonfire in Rathcoole, Newtownabbey, on the outskirts of north Belfast.

An effigy, above a poster bearing the name of Sinn Fein Councillor Taylor McGrann, appeared on the pyre.

Sir Jeffrey said the burning of flags or election posters are “self-inflicted wounds” for unionists.