DERRY JOURNAL Editorial: Bonfire removal a positive step, time to move on from dangerous, polluting pyres

​It is clear a silent majority were on tenterhooks ahead of the planned inferno which would have been lit next Tuesday, August 15, had the Department of Communities not intervened to clear the site yesterday.

Bonfires have been a long-standing tradition in Ireland from the celebration of the ancient harvest festival of lúnasa, through the traditional Feast of the Assumption fires on August 15, which later became associated with the nationalist uprising against internment in the early 1970s.

But they are outdated. Torching large quantities of combustible material and unleashing plumes of noxious black smoke in the midst of residential housing is simply not on and has not been on for some time.

Bonfires are beacons for anti-social behaviour. They present a public safety risk to the young people involved in their construction and incineration.

They pose a health risk to people living in the immediate area. They are also environmentally destructive, filling the air with smoke and particulates, which can present a significant health risk for people suffering from respiratory illness.

This is not to demonise young people involved in gathering the material as many readers will recall their own bonfire-building experiences of yesteryear.

It is about channelling their energy down other avenues, into the many brilliant community festivals flourishing at this time of year. It’s time to move on.

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