Unionist councillors say ‘problem bonfires’ only exist in nationalist areas of Derry

DUP and UUP councillors have stepped away from the council’s Bonfire Working Group as they believe there are ‘no issues’ in the city with unionist bonfires.

That assertion has been roundly refuted by nationalist councillors.

SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney pointed to trouble that flared earlier this year in unionist communities across the North which were attributed to the NI Protocol and a lack of confidence in policing.

He fears that simmering tensions in the unionist community could manifest in one of the ‘most difficult’ summers since the creation of the Bonfire Working Group.

The local council set up a bonfire working group in 2017.

The purpose was to have councillors from different backgrounds representing all political parties in order to show respect for cultural traditions, respect for the law and respect each other.

The main objectives of the group is to ensure bonfires are safe, clean and respectful to people of all backgrounds who live near them.

This week, DUP Alderman Hilary McClintock and UUP Alderman Darren Guy told a special meeting of the council that their parties would not be nominating councillors to sit on the Bonfire Working Group.

When contacted by the Derry News, both councillors said the Protestant Unionist Loyalist (PUL) community is ‘annoyed’ about a range of issues including the NI Protocol, policing and people are unhappy that the centenary of NI has been ‘snubbed’ at council level.

It’s understood that further upset has been caused by the attendance of a council worker - who is involved in cross community issues including the bonfire committee – in a Guard of Honour at the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey.

‘NO ISSUES’

Both unionist councillors vehemently denied any suggestion that ‘sinister elements’ behind the scenes have advised community workers and politicians to disengage with the bonfire group this year.

‘Prominent people’ in the unionist community have backed their stance, Alderman McClintock said.

She explained: “There’s an argument that we should stay in the group but we’re there to represent our people and they’re telling us very strongly that this ain’t working, this process isn’t right and it’s not getting us what we want.”

Both unionist councillors believe that ‘problem bonfires’ exist in nationalist areas whereas those in the PUL community are ‘managed very well’ and ‘young people are well-trained on safety issues’.

She added: “The issues the bonfire committee were set up to address were across the town in Meenan Square and Galliagh (above prior to last year's bonfires) originally – that’s where the bonfires usually are.

“To be honest, a lot of people in the PUL community were taking part in the bonfire committee and engaging, basically because there was a bit of funding there.

“They like to have festivals and other things but don’t want their culture, the bonfire tradition is part of it, eroded.”

She reiterated the point that PUL areas are ‘not having any issues’ and therefore councillors weren’t fully engaging with the working group since its foundation.

“For us it has accomplished what it was supposed to.  We don’t want to be in there as tokenism.”

‘GRASSROOTS’

Alderman Guy believes that the bonfire group has not been working to its ‘full potential’ and unionist communities always viewed it ‘as a way of getting rid of bonfires’.

He said: “I’ve been involved since I was elected on to council in 2019.  Since I’ve been on it, let’s say, the proper people aren’t involved in it.

“I think the actual people who are building the bonfires should be involved.  I know that in the PUL community areas that have the bonfires they’ve actually broken off any engagement with the Bonfire Group.

“I don’t know whether they’ll ever come back on board, I still keep in touch with them all as a go-between but there’s a lot of bridge-building to be done between the actual committee and bonfire builders themselves.

“That is the main point.  There is no point in talking to those on the periphery, it has to include the grassroots of it.”

‘UNDERSTANDING’

SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney has sat on the bonfire working group since its inception in 2017.

He is fearful of tit-for-tat sectarianism at bonfires and the ‘most difficult summer’ for years if unionist representatives do not get back around the table.

Cllr Tierney said it is ‘a nonsense’ for unionist representatives to suggest that problems only exist in nationalist areas.

As someone who grew up in the Bogside, the SDLP councillor publicly condemned the burning of images of murdered police and prison officers at Meenan Square.

“I genuinely believe that that was wrong.  I got a lot of stick in my community for that.  I also was the only elected councillor, I think the only politician, to come out and say David Ramsey’s poster being put on a bonfire in Newbuildings was wrong,” he said.

He accepted there are issues in nationalist areas including his own in Galliagh.

However, he added: “If unionist politicians genuinely believe that there are no issues of anti-social behaviour, environmental issues and sectarian issues in unionist areas then they are deluded and we are further back than I thought we were.

“They need to be on the bonfire working group because that is where these issues are discussed.

“Unionist councillors will be aware of ongoing issues at Irish Street, last year there were issues at Tullyally where we had to close a football pitch because it was being taken over to store bonfire wood, we had to remove tyres from a bonfire in the Fountain, there’s been a number of other issues.”

Councillors should seek to represent all citizens in the city regardless of their background, he concluded.

Meanwhile, Aontú Councillor Emmet Doyle said: “Promoting safe and regulated bonfires across the district is in the interests of everyone. 

“I accept that there are issues in unionist communities that I don’t necessarily understand but we have to engage collectively. 

“The prevalence of bonfires at certain times of the year in both communities often feed off one another and disengaging from an engagement process will have an impact elsewhere, that’s why I hope we can come to an understanding to continue to provide that leadership, and I for one am willing to adapt to ensure we do it right.”

A meeting has been arranged for Monday but it is unclear whether the DUP will attend.

Alderman Guy made it clear that ‘common ground’ can be reached through further engagement.