Craigyhill bonfire Larne: 'This is going to be the biggest bonfire the world has ever seen – and not just Northern Ireland – I am going to say it will be around 210 feet tall'

"This is going to be the biggest bonfire the world has ever seen – and not just Northern Ireland – I am going to say it will be around 210 feet tall,” says John a bonfire builder.

He added that this ‘will be the biggest ever in Craigyhill’ because the same amount of effort won’t happen again.

"We have the biggest bonfire in Northern Ireland hands down,” he added. “We were a few weeks ago I would say, we are the biggest one by far.

"The beacon goes on top of the bonfire on Sunday after building on Saturday - and I think it will make 210 feet.”

He added: “We wouldn’t spend the money to get into the Guinness Book of records. We would rather give the money to charity but anyway the Guinness Book of records means little now and who gets it anymore? If you do a Google search of bonfires Craigyhill bonfire comes up as being one of the tallest in world. Everybody knows about us.

"Our bonfire is solid – we are more interested in everyone getting down safe and no-one getting hurt.

"That is the only record we are interested in.”

When asked if losing hours of their time after work and at weekends was worth it to build the bonfire, John said: “Yes it is worth it because people have put so much into it – and we are at the tail end now.

"Yes it was hard work, but we are bringing so much to Larne to the B&B’s and shops.

"We bring a lot of trade into Larne with this bonfire. We are bringing a lot of people here and raising money for the charity.”

Craigyhill Bonfire

He added that houses in the vicinity of the bonfire are boarded up prior to the pyre being lit.

“We have been working with Fire Service the whole way through,” he added. “This was a year in the planning from the size of the screws to hard hats.

"We learned as we went along about what worked and what didn’t.

“We are up at the very top (of the bonfire) and I am there to make sure everything is done right.

Craigyhill bonfire

"The fire chief comes to our site every week to check things – many people don’t understand that but we know what we are doing.

"Many people are blinded by their own bigotry and we are well aware of that.

“But there will be no more building until Saturday and then Sunday is the finale.

"This coming weekend will be bonkers with people wanting to see the bonfire and then the beacon goes on in the grand finale.

"There will be hundreds and hundreds of cars to see it all.”