ELEVENTH night bonfires are to be lit across Northern Ireland amid continued safety fears.
More than 200 pyres are due to be set alight in towns and villages in the north, including one in Co Antrim that is believed to have set a new world bonfire record.
Despite safety concerns over the bonfire at Craigyhill in Larne, it was finished on Sunday and today it was measured using lasers and a drone and found to be 202.3ft high.
The current world record for the highest bonfire is 198ft, set in Lustenau, Austria on March 16 2019.
Ahead of it being lit, a local company took measurements and was due to issue a certificate, which the bonfire committee will send to the Guinness Book of Records for consideration. The world record attempt went ahead in memory of John Steele, who died in a fall at a nearby pyre.
The father-of-two had been helping to build a 50ft bonfire in Antiville in Larne when he fell on Saturday. It was dismantled on Sunday night by Mid and East Antrim Council at the request of the local community.
A vigil was later held for him at the site where people gathered to pay their respects.
It came as a fundraiser was launched for the family of Mr Steele following his tragic death, which had last night raised almost £5,000.
The JustGiving page said "a dark cloud is over our wee town at the passing of John Steele".
"No-one is ever prepared for that news to come to your door," it states.
"So I've set this up in the hope that people will donate no matter how big or small, to take off a bit of financial pressure for the family as they begin to make arrangements for John's funeral.
"The whole town is shook at this devastating news and our hearts go out to Artie, Jackie, Kitty, his two daughters Caitlin and Macy-Lee, Catrina and the whole family circle."
James Brown from the Craigyhill bonfire committee said that following Saturday night's tragedy, they spoke to Mr Steele's family and were asked to proceed with the record attempt.
"Obviously it was a tragedy, something you never thought you would have heard close to home, our hearts go out to John's family and close friends, and to the Antiville bonfire committee," he told the Press Association.
"Talking to the family, they wanted us to push on for the record in John's memory so that gave us the determination to go ahead and smash the record for John - and that's what we have done."
He also said they wanted to bring the record to Northern Ireland, describing it as the "home of the bonfire".
"We all sat around, the committee, and talked about the record set in Austria," he said.
"We thought Northern Ireland is the home of bonfires, so why isn't that record here. So we decided to go for it, to try our best to set a new record.
"We fundraised for nearly 10 months, and then spent two months building it."
Mr Brown said a lot of additional thought and work was put into this year's structure given the greater height.
"If you've seen it, you'll see all the blue and red palettes. They are a stronger palette, and take a lot more weight and pressure. That was key for us, to be safe and get the height."
Safety concerns were raised in recent days with Sinn Féin councillor James McKeown contacted by worried locals.
"I, like other councillors, have been contacted about the health and safety aspect of it," he said.
"Not only for the general public but for the bonfire builders (themselves)."
