Local residents of the sleepy Northern Irish town of Derry are basking in their own glory, after constructing a bonfire pyre that is tall enough to make even the most seasoned of Guinness World Record holders green with envy.
Towering over the rooftops of nearby buildings at a staggering height of 205 feet, the bonfire was originally created to mark the occasion of Eleventh Night – a historic celebration that marks the anniversary of the victorious battle of William of Orange, which took place on the Ulster landscape back in the summer of 1690.
But as the teams of builders, who had come from all over the town to contribute to this feat of human engineering, painstakingly piled log after log on top of each other, they soon realized that their creation had outgrown its original purpose. Instead of just being a simple marker of celebration, this bonfire turned into an over-sized and rather pointless symbol of human excess.
As the crowds gathered around the towering structure, craning their necks as they marvelled at its size, many began to wonder whether this was really what Eleventh Night was meant to be about. Shouldn’t this be a time for reflection on the history of Northern Ireland, and the people who lived and fought on this very land? Shouldn’t it be about understanding the complex and often painful past of this beautiful country, instead of trying to one-up each other with ever-higher bonfires?
At the end of the day, this towering monstrosity represents more than just a record-breaking achievement. It’s a symbol of the darker side of humanity – our tendency towards excess, competition, and a lack of consideration for the world around us.
Perhaps it’s time to stop trying to make ourselves bigger, and instead work towards creating a society that both honors the past and looks forward to a brighter future. Let’s put down the logs, and pick up the tools of cooperation – because at the end of the day, that’s what’s really worth celebrating.
