Any St John's Bonfires?

Durnish

I remember seeing these a couple of years ago out by Narin/Portnoo. Is it tonight?

homer simpson

Durnish wrote: »

I remember seeing these a couple of years ago out by Narin/Portnoo. Is it tonight?

Enlighten me? ive never heard of them to be honest? although i do remember going down to bunbeg one evening a few years back about this time and seen a lot of small bonfires along the side of the road in and around dunlewy but i thought it was an old tradition to do with a preist being ordained maybe not?

Durnish

Well, it was my old Donegal landlady, the lovely Kitty, who pointed them out to me maybe thirty years ago. It is connected with the Eve Of St John the Baptist, his official birthday is the marra. I think it is detailed in Estyn Evans' Ulster Folk Ways and maybe in some other Donegal specific books.

Have environmental concerns scuppered the tradition?

Noreen1

Bonfire night is still alive and kicking around these parts - though the fires tend to be arranged by groups of people/sometimes a pub.

The bonfires I remember from my childhood, where the neighbours used to gather and tell stories over supper around the fire, seem to have died away, though - more's the pity!

Noreen

North_West_Art

there used to be a huge one every year in Laghey, Donegal, and Ballintra and they collected tyres for the bonfires for weeks beforehand. I think they stopped it around 20 years ago. You still get the odd one on certain hilltops, but nothing like years ago. I think it used to be the night of the 23rd? I remember one burning until the next day it was so big

Durnish

Yeah, it's the 23rd evening. Helen Meehan's Parish of Inver book talks of children running through potato fields with torches of gorse from the boney.

There was another discussion somehwere about how the midsummer bonefires got turned into 12th of July Boneys in suitable districts. Can't rem which book that was in.

North_West_Art

very big fire at Seisha O'Neill, B'bofey, also one over towards the Steeple at Convoy. I also passed a bonfire just before Clar near Donegal, and a friend counted 16 at different sites around Donegal Bay, spotted from St. John's Point this evening.
The fire brigade were on the way to the fire in Ballybofey.

Harps

Ive seen plenty about, one just down the road from us. can't say Ive ever heard of it being called St John's but the bonfires have been going for years around here

Durnish

Today is St John the Baptist's day.
The twenty-third of June is mentioned in several old song lyrics, Jug of Punch and Spancil Hill. There's another one but I can't remember the beginning of it.

Carrickman

We had a good few down this way last night.

Durnish

cor, any pics?

ednwireland

plenty in cork last night (clouds of burning tyre smoke across the city)

was out cycling last year and saw a couple

deman

Happy St John's Day Everybody

. It has often been claimed that the Church authorities wanted to "Christianize" the pagan solstice celebrations and for this reason advanced Saint John's feast as a substitute. This explanation is questionable because in the Middle Ages the solstice took place around the middle of June due to the inaccuracy of the Julian calendar. It was only in 1582, through the Gregorian calendar reform, that the solstice returned to June 21 as it had been in the fourth century. (However, the 24th may have been observed as the solstice since in ancient times the solstice did fall about then.)

deman

ednwireland wrote: »

clouds of burning tyre smoke across the city

I'm sure this is exactly how John The Baptist would have wanted us to celebrate his day.... but polluting the environment.:(

ednwireland

deman wrote: »

I'm sure this is exactly how John The Baptist would have wanted us to celebrate his day.... but polluting the environment.:(

i think your right, cant think of a better way of celebrating the solstice :rolleyes:

danniemcq

Tory has it every year out there great craic never knew why they had it though!

Durnish

Isn't there a big fine in Donegal, and in rest of ROI, for burning tyres? I reckon that gorse clearing may have provided the fuel for fires in the past.

A friend told me that when she was a wee girl they made "summer huts" on midsummer's night, maybe a throwback to booleying?

Durnish

Do "youths" still leap thru' the flames?

No feet or tyres were harmed in the production of this post.

danniemcq

Durnish wrote: »

Isn't there a big fine in Donegal, and in rest of ROI, for burning tyres? I reckon that gorse clearing may have provided the fuel for fires in the past.

A friend told me that when she was a wee girl they made "summer huts" on midsummer's night, maybe a throwback to booleying?

there probably is fines and all that but if you do your burning at weekends, evenings or bank holidays when theenviorment guys aren't in the office to answer a complaint call or can't make it out to check on this information they can't do anything i don't think...

Although if i'm wrong and people get fined don't blame me! also polluting is bad according to my olf friend captain planet

fontanalis

I remember these bonfires when I was younger, we used to gather stuff for a good while in the lead up. I think it may have something to do with the summer solstice.

donegalgirl28

danniemcq wrote: »

Tory has it every year out there great craic never knew why they had it though!

Me too. Never knew why and when people asked why, I said we just do! Always got comments like shouldn't it be on the 21st? it should be halloween etc....

We always use to have it every year in the field out the back of our terrace. The children would always organise it, not the adults. We'd start collecting every day for 2 weeks before hand, tyres, cutting down bushes, knocking door to door then handing out invitations and everyone donating a pound or two for some crisps and soft drinks for everyone to come along.

There was also robbing off other terraces/estates bonfires cos there was always a competition for the highest and brightest bonfire. :P

It stopped when I was about 11 cos the nieghbours were complaining the smoke was blackening their house walls (it was the back of the house and it was more than 50 metres away.:rolleyes:) and then there was no children around the terrace interested enough to keep it going anymore. Goddamn computers/video games ruining community spirit!:mad: