We didn't start the fire...

From little spark may burst a mighty flame.

- Dante Alighieri

Our correspondent today is Jessica Coleman:

We woke up this morning with only a half hour to get ready before classes. We had class with Ms. Duarte first. Tom and I created the most brilliant and “emo” found poem from the first chapter of Seamus Deane’s Reading in the Dark. We then had class with Mr. Bizga in which we discussed and defended our classification of Northern Ireland’s leaders according to the examples in Mark Gerzon's Leading Through Conflict. We identified examples from the situation in Northern Ireland of each type of leader: a demagogue, a mediator, and a manager.

After, we joined our friends at Castlereigh to help the festival run smoothly. We had relay and potato sack races and made crafts with the children. To everyone’s disappointment the rain that had been promised for weeks finally fell. The ladies and Tom, who was feeling ill, decided to return to the dorms to better prepare for the bonfire later tonight. The guys stayed behind with Mr. Bizga at the bonfire site. During our absence Mr. Bizga took them to see other bonfires in lower East Belfast. They reported that they were covered with sectarian images that would be offensive to the nationalist community. Back at Queen’s, we bundled up in our warmest clothes and waterproof jackets before meeting the boys at the bonfire.

Although the Lower Castlereagh Community Group encouraged their community to abstain from alcohol for the bonfire not many complied. Children as young as 12 years old joined in with the adults drinking from their individual liquor bottles. It was upsetting to think of the consequences of drinking so heavily, and in many cases, so early. The bonfire was lit about 45 minutes early in the heavy rain when a frenzy of petrol bombs were thrown into it. One caught at the top and the fire was lit. As the flames climbed and ate away at its top, the pallets at the very top began to slide. They collapsed after falling nearly 200 feet close to many bystanders. In the midst of the fire’s fury and the mass confusion, no one seemed disturbed, afraid, or unsafe. All of the friends we made were helping us stay safe from the immense heat and made sure that we kept a safe distance from the falling debris. Their compassion for all of us was heart warming.

Many attempts were made by the Lower Castlereagh Community Group (LCCG) to make this years bonfire a celebration of their culture; not a sectarian protest. For instance, the bonfire did not have the tri-color flag, the symbol of nationalist community at the top. They were the only bonfire in the area that did not fly and burn the flag, along with other symbols of the nationalist community, at the top. It was a very mature decision and proved their efforts to make it a community affair worthwhile. But, as with most things in Ireland, with every step forward, there is a step back. For instance, on the ride home, our taxi driver told us a story about how this is true. His taxi company is called East Belfast Taxis. East Belfast is traditionally Protestant, but when he drove his former customer through West Belfast, his car was attacked. A nationalist group of teenagers were hiding in the hedges and spotted the name of his taxi company. They threw bricks at it, threatening his life and that of everyone else in the cars. In Belfast, cab drivers have to supply their own car. Our driver had just bought this car two months ago.

His story illustrated to us how issues regarding the conflict are still very much unresolved even today. The more time I spend in the north of Ireland, the more I realize how complicated and deep-rooted the problem is. The fact that the Lower Castlereigh Community Group chose not to fly the tri-color at the top of the bonfire was promising, but until cab drivers can do their job without being in danger, there is an obvious issue that needs to be resolved.