Eleventh Night in Northern Ireland Date in the current year: July 11, 2024
In Northern Ireland, the night before July 12 (known as Orangemen's Day or the Twelfth) is referred to as the Eleventh Night. This celebration often causes tension between the Protestant and the Catholic communities.Like the Orangemen's Day, the Eleventh Night is associated with the Glorious Revolution and the Williamite War, namely the Battle of Boyne. The victory of William III of Orange in this war ensured Protestant dominance over Ireland.
The Eleventh Night and the Twelfth are celebrated by many Protestant unionists and loyalists as well as by the Orange Order. On July 11, in many Protestant neighborhoods in Ulster large bonfires are lit. Some of them reach over 100 feet tall.
Unfortunately, some Protestants use this day as an occasion to display their hatred towards Irish Catholics. They burn Irish tricolor, symbols of Irish republicanism and nationalism, symbols of the Irish Catholic community on the bonfires. Such behavior is frowned upon and is condemned as inciting sectarian and ethnic hatred.
Besides, bonfires are not environmentally friendly. In some bonfires, tires are burnt, producing toxic chemical compounds. That is why the Eleventh Night Bonfires pose a health issue.
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- Anniversaries and Memorial Days
Country
- United Kingdom
Tags
- Eleventh Night, the Twelth, the Battle of Boyne, Williamite War, Glorious Revolution