CRAIGY BONFIRE BUILDER | Leading loyalist whose pal was killed on Larne bonfire says South East Antrim UDA have taken over the 'Bonfire Culture' and are 'drug dealing thugs'

Window cleaner John Steele fell 50 feet to his death after he was struck on the head by a pallet falling from a bonfire he had helped build.

                  Daniel Crawford 

                 October 15th, 2022. 

A LEADING loyalist whose pal was killed in a bonfire fall has condemned South East Antrim UDA as drug-dealing thugs.

Daniel Crawford recently quit his home in Larne to build a new life for his family in England.

Until he upped sticks and left two weeks ago, the 31-year-old father of two was known to have close links to loyalist groups.

Daniel is still extremely well-known on the town’s Craigyhill and Antiville estates, where he was born and raised.

But speaking to the Sunday World yesterday, Daniel said he was so sickened by the tragic death of his life-long friend John Steele last July that he decided to turn his back on his native town for good.

“I was there the night John died. I didn’t actually see him fall, but I saw what happened afterwards. John’s death was the final straw for me,” he said.

"No doubt they'll be saying it was me who was speaking to the press last summer - but anyone who knows me knows that is nonsense. 

" One thing is right though - the Sunday Worldarticles about John Steele and the Larne bonfires last summer were spot on." 

Window cleaner John fell 50 feet to his death after he was struck on the head by a pallet falling from a bonfire he had helped build.

                      John Steele

The huge pyre on the town’s Antiville estate was pulled down days after the tragedy which ripped the heart out of the close-knit community in the seaside town.

Last July after a visit to the  Craighill and Antville estates, the Sunday World revealed how youngsters were forced to help build huge towering inferno bonfires or face a beating.

And we also revealed how boys on the estates were forced to chip in £25 per head to buy pallets and then an additional £20 each for the hire of a crane.

We learned that father-of two John died when he fell 50ft after he was struck on the head by a flying pallet which had been accidentally dropped from above.

Up until that point, details of John’s death had remained a closely guarded secret, known only to UDA members.

Daniel Crawford said he remained a committed loyalist, but he became completely sickened by what the UDA did to the Co Antrim 'The Town I Loved So Well'. 

“I loved growing up in Larne and I loved the loyalist people who lived in Antiville and Craigyhill.

READ MORE:

Tragic bonfire builder was third person to die near Larne bonfire sites 

Tragic bonfire dad John Steele died after being hit with 'flying pallet' in Larne

“As youngsters, we couldn’t wait until it was time to collect wood for the bonfire. It was the same every summer. My parents used to threaten me: ‘You better eat your dinner or you won’t be going to the bonfire.’

"To tell you truth, the bonfire was the most important thing in our lives. The community spirit in the town at that time was fantastic. 

“But I became sickened by what happened in Larne. Why did we have to have the biggest bonfire in the world? It’s a lot safer for the community if it’s a small one.

“Around three years ago, I began questioning what it was all about. I came to realise the SEA UDA had taken over the bonfire culture for its own ends.

“If they own the bonfire, then they own the community. And when they own the community, they control the sale of drugs. That’s what the bonfire became. It was just part of the drugs business.

"It dawned on me that my kids deserved better. I mentioned to my wife that I wanted out and she agreed. It's the best decision we ever made. 

“Our boys are settled into a new school and they are very happy. The transformation in us a family is fantastic. The stress of living in Larne became too much.

“I lived there for 31 years since I was born. And the people living there are the most decent people I know. But the paramilitaries ruined the area and it won’t change until they’re gone,” he insisted.

The Larne man maintained he was still deeply committed to the loyalist cause, but he felt there was no need for loyalist paramilitary groups any more.

“The Troubles are over – and they’re not coming back,” he said.

“I mean it’s not as if a united Ireland is around the corner or anything like that. I’m still a loyalist and I do more for NI over here than any of them do back home.”

Daniel maintained that Larne was in danger of becoming a drug-dependent town unless action was taken soon. And he was highly critical of police procedures aimed at tackling the growing drugs problem in the town.

"If the police were serious, they could sort out Larne in a year. They must know who, what and where the drugs are coming into Larne. 

" The people are sick and tired of the drugs and they deserve a lot better," said Daniel. 

With many thanks to the: Sunday World and Hugh Jordan for the original story. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: The 'staggering' cost to the public purse cleaning-up after 'Hatefest' and the 12th of July bonfires.

One man has died after falling from Antiville bonfire in Larne, Co Antrim.

UDA threatened to break arms of girls (13) for touching bonfire

FIRE TRAGEDY | Leading loyalist whose pal was killed on Larne bonfire says UDA are 'drug dealing thugs'

Review: Arlene Foster's GB News coverage of the Twelfth unfocused and amateurish

Amateur-hour GB News is unfortunately live TV on a shoestring

Former DUP leader Arlene Foster covered the Twelfth of July marches on GB News 

                   12th July, 2022. 

GB News announcing it would host live coverage of the Twelfth always seemed like a blatant attempt to poke the BBC in the eye.

The upstart TV channel was positioning itself as riding to the rescue after horrible old auntie Beeb axed the live portion of its annual broadcasts.

      Some of the images they won't be            covering on GB News during Hatefest 

With former DUP leader turned GB News host Dame Arlene Foster fronting coverage from an Orange parade in Armagh, what could possibly go wrong?

But on the basis of the hour-long programme produced, GB News need not have bothered. It has simply helped justify the BBC's decision for them.

    Loyalist's celebrating their 'culture' by            demonising the Roman Catholic                  community. This is why we call it              Hatefest it has no place in a shared            society, which is often called for in                       the unionist community. 

Live television is difficult to execute well, especially a fluid event of this nature. Technical faults can crop up, proceedings may not run on schedule and any problems are magnified.

It is resource-heavy, with broadcasts requiring an unflappable team on screen and an army of people behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly.

Watch the video by Barrister Joe Brolly telling it how it is:

Amateur-hour GB News is unfortunately live TV on a shoestring.

The picture quality was sub-par, with the colours in footage from the parade appearing washed out. Not ideal for a programme aiming to showcase the "pageantry" of the celebrations.

   More images which won't be shown on           GB News: This one is of the First                Minister for NI, Sinn Féin's Michelle               O’Neill (@moneillsf) hanging from            a loyalist bonfire which they set alight         on Twelfth of July to celebrate their                       'Protestant Culture' 

Some camera shots in the pre-recorded segments appeared out of focus, almost like Vaseline had been smudged over the screen.

Sound was also a major issue. Dame Arlene and historian Dr Gavin Hughes were frequently drowned out by the noise levels from the marching musicians passing by.

    Former DUP leader Arlene Foster with           former Coronation Street actor                                 Charlie Lawson. 

Every so often the "action" would cut to the not-so-dynamic duo of former Coronation Street actor Charlie Lawson and GB News reporter Dougie Beattie (not to be confused with UUP leader Doug Beattie).

Viewers were treated to some shaky camerawork as they chatted between themselves and to bemused spectators in a manner verging on accidental Partridge.

   Former Coronation Street actor Charlie       Lawson (burning the candle at both              ends) 'Keep her Fire Lit' Charlie. 

    ANT AND DEC HAVE NOTHING TO                          WORRY ABOUT 

One of the main problems from the outset was that Twelfth of July parades are not particularly riveting to broadcast live.

While the various different bands are enjoyable for people attending as a family-friendly occasion, on television after seeing a few they soon all look and sound the same.

     Former Corrie actor Charlie Lawson          telling it how it is in a shared society                             in NI in 2022.

To make matters worse, at one stage there was a break in the parading - leaving the team with nothing on-screen to talk about.

Dame Arlene did her best to anchor proceedings but the show regularly displayed the worst aspects of live TV, filling airtime with bland non-commentary. There are only so many times you can listen to people saying everything is "lovely" and "great to see".

It was also jarring that this broadcast was on a so-called "news" channel given how entirely unquestioning it was of events surrounding the Twelfth.

     More unpublished photographs you           won't see on GB News: This one's of           the President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou         McDonald (👀not much to see here👀)      loyalists celebrating their 'Protestant                                  Culture' 

A segment on Eleventh Night bonfires made no mention of safety concerns after a man fell to his death, nor how some pyres had displayed flags, election posters and sectarian slurs.

For Dame Arlene and others in GB News who have previously accused the BBC of bias, the editorial choices of this programme showed absolutely zero sense of self-awareness.

    Charlie Lawson speaking to GB News          reporter Dougie Beattie during the           TV channel's coverage of the Twelfth 

The former First Minister has spoken about wanting to provide live coverage for housebound people like her own mother, which is an admirable move.

But the GB News coverage fell between two stools of explaining the Twelfth to a wider UK audience and engaging with the already faithful followers of Orangeism. In the end this may have satisfied no-one.

      DON'T MENTION THE FLAGS! 

We will have to wait for the final viewing figures but based on the YouTube stream of GB News, there was no noticeable uptick in ratings during the show.

Speaking to Dame Arlene shortly before the show began, fellow GB News presenter Bev Turner said: "You know, if you landed in from another planet and watched that you'd think, 'What are these human beings? What are they doing walking up and down like that with the flags?'"

With many thanks to: Belfast Live and Brendan Hughes Politicial reporter for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: The 'staggering' cost to the public purse cleaning-up after 'Hatefest' and the 12th of July bonfires.

Twelfth: Orange Order welcomes live GB News live coverage

Review: Arlene Foster's GB News coverage of the Twelfth unfocused and amateurish

One man has died after falling from Antiville bonfire in Larne, Co Antrim.

25 facts about the Orange Order ahead of the Twelfth of July celebrations

  

       The first Grand Lodge of Ireland                meeting was held in Dublin. 

   King William of Orange with his rapier       across the neck of a visibly concerned                                  horse 

How much do you know about the Orange Order?

Here are 25 facts you might not be aware of:

1 The Order was founded in 1795 by Daniel Winter, James Sloan and James Wilson after a stand-off in Co Armagh between Protestant Peep o’ Day Boys and Catholic Defenders ended with the Battle of the Diamond and the deaths of 30 Catholics. Dan Winter’s House near Loughgall, where the meeting to form the Orange Order was held after the battle as Protestants sought to protect their properties, has been restored and can be visited.

2 The order’s name comes from Protestant King William of Orange who defeated Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. Orange refers to the region of Southeast France that was among William’s family holdings.

3 The Orange Order’s first marches took place on 12 July 1796 at Gosford, outside Markethill, Co Armagh.

4 William of Orange was asthmatic and though not a hunchback, walked with the appearance of one.

5 On February 20, 1702 William was riding Sorrel, a new horse, in the park of Hampton Court. As the horse began to gallop it stumbled on a molehill and fell, throwing William who broke his collarbone, with ultimately fatal consequences. A jolt while in a carriage a few days later caused the bone to break again. Fever set in and he died on March 8.

6 King Billy’s horse at the Battle of the Boyne wasn’t white as famously portrayed, it was brown. A white horse would have made him an easy target.

7 William was one of the first to utilise mass media. He arrived in England in 1688, at the invitation of British politicians seeking to rid the nation of Catholic King James II, armed with a printing press, producing 60,000 copies of his declaration which criticised the king and tried to convince the English he was a friend rather than an invader.

8 The name Lambeg Drum literally means ‘Little Church Drum’, quite inappropriate for one of the largest and loudest instruments in the world.

9 William’s father (William II, Prince of Orange) died two weeks before he was born and his mother (Mary, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England) when he was 10 years old.

                      William Massey

10 Malahide Castle, near Dublin, is the ancestral home of the Talbot family. You can still visit the Great Hall where 14 members of the Talbot family sat down to breakfast on the morning of July 12, 1690. All were dead by that evening.

11 An estimated 50,000 took part in the Battle of the Boyne, Surprisingly, most survived, the casualty list estimated at around 2,000 killed. The fighting lasted about four hours.

12 William of Orange was both the son-in-law and nephew of King James II who he defeated at the battle of the Boyne. The battle was to prevent James handing over power in Ireland to Catholics. Most of William’s army were militia of Dutch and Danish nationality, and they had landed at Carrickfergus before moving south. Aligned to France, James II was warned by King Louis XIV not to face William’s army and instead burn Dublin and retreat west of the River Shannon and hold his ground there to regroup. He refused. He lost.

13 William of Orange had a narrow escape at the Boyne. He was almost killed when struck by a ricocheted piece of cannon fire on the foot and shoulder as he (according to legend) enjoyed a picnic and was surveying the battle field on July 11. He was also almost struck by musket fire during the battle by one of his own soldiers during the confusion of battle.

14 While the Battle of the Boyne was won by William of Orange, it didn’t win the war. That only came to a decisive conclusion exactly one year later at Aughrim on 12 July 1691.

15 The original Twelfth of July commemorations were to honour the Battle of Aughrim, not the Battle of the Boyne.

16 The Battle of the Boyne, going by the old Julian calendar which was used in Ireland at the time, actually took place on July 1. It wasn’t until 1752 that the Gregorian calendar was adopted in Ireland when the July 12 date became relevant. However, even after this date “The Twelfth” continued to be commemorated at Aughrim. In fact, 1690 and the Boyne only became significant in the late 18th century when the two battles were combined in a single commemoration.

17 In the 1960s the Orange Order boasted almost 100,000 members. There are less than 30,000 today.

18 The first Grand Lodge of Ireland meeting was held in Dublin. Dublin, as the administrative capital of the Island, was the natural headquarters for the Orange Institution and remained such until the Headquarters Buildings, the Fowler Memorial Hall in Rutland Square, was severely damaged in the Irish Civil War.

19 William’s wife Queen Mary had been devoted to him, and he to her. After the shock of her unexpected death in 1694, William became very withdrawn. Following her death he always carried with him a gold ring and a lock of Mary’s hair. William was buried in Westminster Abbey beside Mary on Sunday, April 12.

20 New Zealand’s first Orange lodge was founded in Auckland in 1842, only two years after the country became part of the British Empire, by James Carlton Hill of Co Wicklow.

21 Ghana, Nigeria and Togo are among the African countries to have embraced Organism. All have their own Orange lodges.

22 Stall in the ‘field’ sell all sorts of usual merchandise like Toy drums, CDs of band music, mugs and printed t-shirts. Only more recently have some entrepreneurs been more inventive. These days you can course Lego Orangemen and Terry’s Chocolate Orangemen.

23 The Orange Order’s headquarters in Northern Ireland are based in Schomberg House - taking its name from Frederick Schomberg (originally Friedrich Hermann von Schönberg) appointed William of Orange’s commander-in-chief in Ireland in 1689, now Duke of Schomberg, he was appointed commander-in-chief in Ireland. Hit by musket fire, he died in the Battle of the Boyne and is buried in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.

24 The River Boyne only just scrapes into the top ten of the longest rivers in Ireland. It is tenth on the list at 112km. Longest is the Shannon (360km). The Foyle, the Bann and the Erne are all longer.

25 Famous Orangemen have included Dr Thomas Barnardo, who joined the Order in Dublin, William Massey, who was Prime Minister of New Zealand and Earl Alexander, the Second World War general.

With many thanks to the: Sunday World and for the original story. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: One man has died after falling from Antiville bonfire in Larne, Co Antrim.

The 'staggering' cost to the public purse cleaning-up after 'Hatefest' and the 12th of July bonfires.

Twelfth: Orange Order welcomes live GB News live coverage

Pound Shop lawyer Jamie Bryson Loses Another Appeal Over Belfast Bonfire Legal Challenge Ruling

25 facts about the Orange Order ahead of the Twelfth of July celebrations

Flags banned from new housing developments in the North of Ireland due to legal small print

One man has died after falling from Antiville bonfire in Larne, Co Antrim.

A male is reported to have tragically died this evening, Saturday 9 July, after falling from the Antiville bonfire in Larne. 

   Antiville bonfire in the Fairway area of                                 Larne 

A spokesperson for Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said:

“The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 21:37 on Saturday 9 July following reports of a person having fallen from a height in the Fairway area of Larne.

“NIAS despatched a Rapid Response Paramedic, two Emergency Crews and a doctor to the incident.

“Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, no-one was transported to hospital.”

   Police at the scene of the sudden death                             in Larne 

The close-knit community have been left shocked and devastated following the well-known man’s tragic death.

Ben Preston, Minister of Craigyhill Presbyterian Church, attended the scene of tragedy on Saturday night. He commented:

“Just home from the Antiville bonfire in front of the church, the scene of a tragic death this evening. 

“As a church, our deepest condolences are with the family and community of Antiville and Craigyhill.

“Our thanks go to the Ambulance Service, PSNI, and Fire & Rescue Service for their work tonight. 

“Let us remember Psalm 23 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

“Flowers can be left on our church fence, you'll be welcome to join us for worship at 11am, and in the afternoon we'll open a drop-in for the community to come and chat or pray, or just have a cup of tea. We'll be here for you tomorrow.”

UPDATE: The PSNI issued a statement on the incident on Sunday morning. Inspector Adrian Bryan said:

"We understand that the man was assisting in the building of the bonfire when this tragic accident occurred. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this time.”

He continued: “Our investigation has commenced and we are appealing for witnesses, especially those who were in the area last night around 10.15pm, to come forward and contact us on 101 quoting reference number 1866 09/07/22.”

With many thanks to to Love Ballymena Online for the original story. 

Follow this link to find out more on this story: Person reported to have died after falling from Co Antrim bonfire

The 'staggering' cost to the public purse cleaning-up after 'Hatefest' and the 12th of July bonfires.

Much of the money was spent on boarding up Housing Executive properties to protect them from the flames and heat 

More than half-a-million pounds of the bill was incurred by the Housing Executive (Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live) 

                   21st June, 2022. 

Bonfires in Northern Ireland have cost the public more than £800,000 in clean-up, repair and protection bills in the past three years.

The scale of the spending by councils and other public bodies to address damage from summer bonfires is revealed in figures obtained by Belfast Live.

More than half-a-million pounds of the bill was incurred by the Housing Executive - including almost £214,000 boarding up properties to protect them from the flames and heat.

Road repairs since 2019 cost Stormont's Department for Infrastructure more than £45,000 of taxpayers' cash, with officials called upon to clean up dozens of sites each year.

Street-cleaning, staffing, equipment such as diggers, tractors and skips, and the re-seeding of grass were among the costs incurred by the public bodies.

Scroll down for bonfire clean-up and repair costs by council area

In total more than £809,000 was spent between 2019 and 2021 on clean-up and repairs associated with summer bonfires, according to records obtained through Freedom of Information requests.

But the full extent of the spending is unknown as some councils provided no information or gave incomplete statistics.

The figures also cover a period when many bonfires across Northern Ireland were either cancelled or scaled back due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The region's largest local authority, Belfast City Council, was unable to give full statistics for 2019-21 but it has previously said clean-up and repair costs for 2013-16 were around £120,000 - an average of about £30,000 a year.

The vast majority of costs were identified as relating to July's loyalist Eleventh Night bonfires, although some spending was incurred due to so-called anti-internment bonfires in nationalist areas in August.

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan, the party's communities spokesperson, described the costs as "absolutely staggering".

He said: "While there will be clean-up costs associated with any major event taking place in the north, hundreds of thousands spent boarding up people's properties should not have been allowed to become the norm."

The Foyle MLA said he accepted everyone should be able to celebrate their culture and traditions but added: "It should be in a way that causes no harm to the environment or the people and community around them."

"At a time when people are dealing with a costs crisis and public services are stretched to the limit we really cannot afford to be shelling out these sums to clean up after bonfires of any description," he said.

Belfast Alliance councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown said: "The organisers of bonfires and other displays have a leadership role to play in minimising the cost to the public purse, particularly in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

"To do so while working with the relevant statutory agencies would show responsibility, while garnering public support."

A Sinn Féin spokesman expressed concern about the costs involved, adding: "If the law is being broken the relevant statutory bodies have a duty to act and deal with unacceptable bonfires."

The Housing Executive spent £339,803 on the removal of bonfire debris and re-seeding grass, £213,565 on protection measures such as boarding up properties and securing fencing, and £16,697 on clean-up and repair bills.

The housing body said it never gives permission for bonfires to be built on its land and works to "reduce the negative impacts" by securing properties.

A spokesman said: "We recognise that bonfires are traditional events and we work with and support communities to mark cultural celebrations in a positive way.

"We are happy that some of our local communities are moving away from bonfires to more environmentally friendly beacons this summer."

While many bonfires in Northern Ireland pass off without major incident, some over the years have caused safety concerns due to their height and proximity to nearby homes.

In 2016, houses in West Belfast's Shankill area were gutted after their roofs caught alight near an Eleventh Night bonfire.

In February it emerged a Belfast City Council internal report had warned the local authority risks being held liable for nuisance, damage or injury caused by bonfires built on its land.

Last December, Stormont published a long-delayed report on tackling flags and bonfires disputes, but no action plan was agreed on implementing any of its recommendations. 

With many thanks to: Belfast Live and Brendan Hughes Politicial reporter for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Pound Shop lawyer Jamie Bryson Loses Another Appeal Over Belfast Bonfire Legal Challenge Ruling

The 'staggering' cost to the public for cleaning-up after bonfires is shocking