Bonfire Night

Mint Sauce

So apparently, Sunday just gone (23 June) was Bonfire Night, something to do with St John The Baptist. Had never or seen or heard of it before around this time of year, until I seen a few being built and lit around Sligo Town. Only released what it was all about until I just seen it being discussed on one of the regional threads.

The only other Bonfire Nights I knew about were Guy Fawkes (Nov 5th in GB), Halloween here, and 11/12th night in NI (protestant holiday).

So was anyone else celebrating, or were you just burning rubbish. From some of the ones being built in Sligo, I'd say it was the later.

old hippy

It could be a Christian appropriation of the old pagan festivals normally held around this time of year?

mr bungle.

One of my best memories of my youth was a couple of weeks every summer collecting everything and anything from local businesses to prepare for bonfire night,I thought it was a nationwide thing!

Dravokivich

old hippy wrote: »

It could be a Christian appropriation of the old pagan festivals normally held around this time of year?

That Patrick fella made a deal of it back then alright, made a point of lighting the first one once. Although I always associated bonfires with Halloween. First I've heard of it during summer.

Zebra3

First I head about was in the paper yesterday.

Typical christianity ****e stealing other religions traditions.

Mint Sauce

Zebra3 wrote: »

First I head about was in the paper yesterday.

Typical christianity ****e stealing other religions traditions.

St John the Baptist IS part of Christianity.

Dravokivich

irish-stew wrote: »

St John the Baptist IS part of Christianity.

There were many pagan ceremonies here that used bonfires. St Patrick hijacked one of'em to convert a high king. So legend goes...

I s'pose a bonfire night dedicated to St John the Baptist could be in reference to it.

Badly Drunk Boy

It's a Summer Solstice/Midsummer thing. Mainly in the West of Ireland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Ireland

kfallon

Any ould excuse for a session, fair play to them

Capt'n Midnight

Roll on the 12th

Sergeant

Zebra3 wrote: »

First I head about was in the paper yesterday.

Typical christianity ****e stealing other religions traditions.

Yeah, fúck those Christian morons who started this tradition in Ireland over 1000 years ago.

Sauve

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

It's a Summer Solstice/Midsummer thing. Mainly in the West of Ireland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Ireland

Yep, seems to be a west thing alright. Don't remember it happening before I moved over this side

kfallon

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Roll on the 12th

I'm happy enough to get me flute out any day of the year.....

Zebra3

Sergeant wrote: »

Yeah, fúck those Christian morons who started this tradition in Ireland over 1000 years ago.

Except they didn't start it. :rolleyes:

It was a pagan tradition which like so many others was adopted by Christianity.

biko

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Ireland

rossie1977

why is bonfire night only celebrated in the west of ireland, did we get all the vikings when i was young it was built up like christmas

mcmoustache

when i was growing up in connemara, we would sew old potato sacks into balls, soak them in parafin, light them on fire and throw them in the air to be caught and thrown again.

Mint Sauce

rossie1977 wrote: »

why is bonfire night only celebrated in the west of ireland, did we get all the vikings when i was young it was built up like christmas

But decipher Bonfire Night. I always thought Bonfire Night here was on Halloween, and I have lived in the West and NW of Ireland for 14/15 years.

As per my OP other bonfires exsist, but never knew of one in this region in June. The regional forum I made reference to in my OP was in Cork, and thats not the West.

Duckworth_Luas

Where I grew up it was second only to Christmas in a young boys calender.

It's funny when you meet Irish people from less cultured parts of the country that have never heard of it yet you can meet people from the continent you have the exact same tradition!

The Backwards Man

irish-stew wrote: »

But decipher Bonfire Night. I always thought Bonfire Night here was on Halloween, and I have lived in the West and NW of Ireland for 14/15 years.

As per my OP other bonfires exsist, but never knew of one in this region in June. The regional forum I made reference to in my OP was in Cork, and thats not the West.

In Donegal, Halloween is Bonfire night, the 23rd of June is Bonefire Night.

hoodwinked

irish-stew wrote: »

But decipher Bonfire Night. I always thought Bonfire Night here was on Halloween, and I have lived in the West and NW of Ireland for 14/15 years.

As per my OP other bonfires exsist, but never knew of one in this region in June. The regional forum I made reference to in my OP was in Cork, and thats not the West.

it does seem to be a cork city thing though,

i know many people from Rural area's in Cork who have never heard of 'Bonna Night' where some children in the city class it as "the greatest night of the year"

dr.bollocko

Did anyone fashion a giant man made of wicker?

Sergeant

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Did anyone fashion a giant man made of wicker?

For this year's village bonfire we sacrificed a German backpacker called Helmut who had come here for The Gathering.

Pumpkinseeds

But Friday 21st June was Midsummer I know as it's my monster mother in laws birthday. Ah the irony of her birthday being the longest day of the year:D Gotta be honest, bonfires other than Guy Fawkes and Halloween seem a bit knick knacky to me, very inner city skangerish:p

dr.bollocko

Sergeant wrote: »

For this year's village bonfire we sacrificed a German backpacker called Helmut who had come here for The Gathering.

Yeah. They banned everything except smokeless fuels so we had to use Helmut coal.

</wince>

Fridge

Never heard of it. I feel so stupid. Such a small country and yet...

Duckworth_Luas

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Gotta be honest, bonfires other than Guy Fawkes and Halloween seem a bit knick knacky to me, very inner city skangerish:p

Yeah, well it's only an unbroken tradition in the rural west of Ireland going back 1000s of years!

Tar.Aldarion

Yeah we always did it, from west of Ireland. Also my birthday, so it was pretty awesome.

It answers age old questions like, "will it burn?" with honorable mention to golf balls.

AnonoBoy

When I grew up in the West if there was any Dubs down visiting we wouldn't tell them about bonfires night so we didn't have to invite them along.

Suckahs!

Red Kev

Bonfire night is very localised, here in Roscommon it's big in some towns/parishes and barely done in others. It's a pagan tradition to celebrate Midsummer, a festival that is still huge in Scandanavia, parts of Germany amongst others and this is where it comes from.

Christianity dictates that John the Baptist was born on June 24th, 6 months before Jesus, so the day was shifted from June 21st to the night of the 23rd. Same goes for Imbolg (Feb 1st), Bealtaine (May 1st) , Lughnasa (Aug 1st), Samhain (Nov 1st) and arguably Christmas (very close to Dec. 21st), all traditional pagan feast days taken over by Christian feast days.

Incidentally Reek Sunday on Croagh Patrick is the last Sunday of July, it was traditionally done on Lughnasa, August 1st.

It's just the way things went over the years, shows how much influence the church has had on society over the centuries, nothing to stop you celebrating the old pagan festivals if you want.

mcmoustache

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Did anyone fashion a giant man made of wicker?

we did that for a few years for the august bh. i don't know if it's still done

Celly Smunt

The bonfires for the 12th are without a doubt the most impressive bonfires built.

Mr Benevolent

Surely our main Midsummer tradition is complaining about the weather?

astonaidan

I feel like such a culchie when not everyone celebrates bonfire night, saying that you have missed out on the building the biggest bonfire competition and rubbing it in for the year

gobnaitolunacy

AKA getting shot of household waste and tyres night.

KeithM89

Make sure to use as much petrol as possible or it'll be sh*t.

fatknacker

It's best to keep this one a secret and not give Dublin type skangers another opportunity in the year to wreak Hallowe'en-style-havoc in their local neighbourhoods.

Paulzx

fatknacker wrote: »

It's best to keep this one a secret and not give Dublin type skangers another opportunity in the year to wreak Hallowe'en-style-havoc in their local neighbourhoods.

........keep it restricted to Cork type skangers............is that what you mean?



http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/14-arrests-as-gangs-clash-on-bonfire-night-235010.html

old hippy

fatknacker wrote: »

It's best to keep this one a secret and not give Dublin type skangers another opportunity in the year to wreak Hallowe'en-style-havoc in their local neighbourhoods.

Seeing as how fires tend to discriminate and all :rolleyes:

Apanachi

irish-stew wrote: »

So apparently, Sunday just gone (23 June) was Bonfire Night, something to do with St John The Baptist. Had never or seen or heard of it before around this time of year, until I seen a few being built and lit around Sligo Town. Only released what it was all about until I just seen it being discussed on one of the regional threads.

The only other Bonfire Nights I knew about were Guy Fawkes (Nov 5th in GB), Halloween here, and 11/12th night in NI (protestant holiday).

So was anyone else celebrating, or were you just burning rubbish. From some of the ones being built in Sligo, I'd say it was the later.

Having grown up in (County) Sligo, I can say we had bonfires every year when I was living there, which was great, cos it's also my birthday, so i had the biggest and best party of them all

EDIT:

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Yeah we always did it, from west of Ireland. Also my birthday, so it was pretty awesome.

Happy belated birthday and yes, it was definitely the best day of the year to have your birthday on

fatknacker

Paulzx wrote: »

........keep it restricted to Cork type skangers............is that what you mean?



http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/14-arrests-as-gangs-clash-on-bonfire-night-235010.html

Oops. Guess I should have typed skangers in general...

old hippy wrote: »

Seeing as how fires tend to discriminate and all :rolleyes:

DID.....did YOU just rolleyes at me?

Pumpkinseeds

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Yeah, well it's only an unbroken tradition in the rural west of Ireland going back 1000s of years!

Ehm yeah, I grew up in and live in the west of Ireland and before this thread I'd never heard of it in my 40 years on the planet. It must be a very rural thing

Mint Sauce

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Ehm yeah, I grew up in and live in the west of Ireland and before this thread I'd never heard of it in my 40 years on the planet. It must be a very rural thing

I dont think its that rural, I seen about 4 driving through Sligo Town on sunday night. But it was the first time I had seen them.

Although going back to my OP, some of the stuff on some of them was house hold furniture, so I doubt tradition or a celebration was the only reason for starting them.

alchemist33

Apanachi wrote: »

Having grown up in (County) Sligo, I can say we had bonfires every year when I was living there,

Same here. West Sligo, one of the biggest parties of the year. Had no idea what we were celebrating, though.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

I have fond childhood memories of stealing tyres from farmers in my East Mayo village in the week running up to it.

Pumpkinseeds

irish-stew wrote: »

I dont think its that rural, I seen about 4 driving through Sligo Town on sunday night. But it was the first time I had seen them.

Although going back to my OP, some of the stuff on some of them was house hold furniture, so I doubt tradition or a celebration was the only reason for starting them.

Ahh, I'm not in your area, I'm sure there's probably other bizarre practises here so that might be why I've never heard of it:P

MayoForSam

So who's having a bonfire tonight? Great weather for it (plus it's a handy way of getting rid of some old carpet and a few mattresses).

Tar.Aldarion

Wish it was more of a thing in the east of Ireland, I miss having them around for my birthday!

topper75

I, being a Limerick chauvinist, thought everybody did the bonfire thing on April 30th (May eve) like our good pagan Baal-worshipping selves.

As I wandered in the world I learned of this June 23rd idea and discovered we Limerickians were in the minority in Ireland in that respect. It was popular in Spain to light fires on the beach on Jun 23 and, I now understand, most of Ireland outside of Limerick City and East Galway (need East Galwegian to confirm - do you guys also do Apr 30th as I have been told?).

The Backwards Man

Used to be a big thing here years ago.

Like hurricane lamps and having wedding receptions in haybarns.

Duckworth_Luas

topper75 wrote: »

I now understand, most of Ireland outside of Limerick City and East Galway (need East Galwegian to confirm - do you guys also do Apr 30th as I have been told?).

No, in east Galway Bonfire Night is on Midsummer's Eve, June 23rd