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At midnight tonight, enormous bonfires will be lit in Northern Ireland for 12 July celebrations. These bonfires can be up to six stories high and are built of tire and thousands of wooden pallets. They often take weeks to build and days to burn.

The bonfires commemorate the Battle of the Boyne which was fought in July of 1690 between the Catholic King James and the Protestant King William. William won the battle which proved to be a turning point in James’ unsuccessful campaign to regain the crown. The Battle remains a controversial topic today and celebrations have often been marked with confrontations between unionists and nationalists.