Cash for loyalists if they don’t burn Irish tricolour

Breach: A bonfire site in the Village area of south Belfast where collection of materials for the pyre has already begun, well ahead of the July 1 start date specified in the guidelines for organisers wishing to benefit from Belfast City Council’s sponsorship scheme. PICTURE: Mal McCann

Loyalists may be offered ratepayer-funded cash rewards for not burning the Irish tricolour on Eleventh Night bonfires. For four years Belfast City Council has sponsored 14 bonfire sites across the city to reduce the sectarian element and environmental im-pact of the long-standing loyalist tradition.

To read more login or subscribe.