Tigers Bay needs jobs and houses, not political lip service

Most damaging of all, the fear people living at those flashpoints experienced and the toll that took on their families and their mental health.

Like many Northern Ireland-based journalists, I’ve 100 riot stories from over the years; they are now simply anecdotes, a memory of a time when the summer months meant images from this place would be flashed around the world.

Despite being one of eight children, there were times I was the only member of my family still in Northern Ireland over the Twelfth, as they all took part in the mass holiday exodus to escape any potential disruption.

My children packed off with their grandparents while I stood with other reporters and photographers in what resembled a war zone, wondering when all this would ever end.

But it did end and that did not happen by accident; that was as a result of leadership and wise heads knowing the need to do the right thing.

In 2012, the late Austin Hunter — a man of huge integrity — issued an apology on behalf of the Royal Black Institution after disgraceful sectarian displays by those following the parade outside a Catholic Church.

Then-administrator of St Patrick’s Church, Fr Michael Sheehan, responded saying: “I welcome this positive development and the sincere Christian spirit behind it.”

The heat was taken out of the parade immediately and those scenes have never been repeated. So much so, the following year I witnessed a very sheepish Orangeman, caught short along the route, ask the priest at St Patrick’s if he could use their facilities. He looked pretty relieved when he was invited in before continuing on his way.

Those two men — Fr Michael Sheehan and Austin Hunter — showed leadership in action.

With parades no longer the focus of controversy, bonfires are now something I dread to see starting to creep into the daily news cycle.

In over 20 years as a reporter, I’ve watched as the fires have changed from piles of discarded rubbish and tyres to huge, gravity-defying structures. The use of pallets means, like a giant game of Jenga, they can be stacked as high as a tower block.

They have now gone from local bonfires to commemorate the lighting of fires on the hills which helped King William of Orange’s ships navigate through Belfast Lough at night, to huge phallic structures that are designed to outdo rivals, rather than commemorate history.

There were 237 bonfires across Northern Ireland over the weekend, only a small number of which were deemed controversial; whether than be for the huge and clearly uncontrollable size of them, or the location where they were placed.

The flags and symbols that continue to be burned on these fires are provocative and clearly designed to offend and intimidate their neighbours.

Tigers Bay is a small loyalist area I know very well. I covered the bonfire at the interface many years ago and was also in the estate the first year it was decided to have a beacon placed inside the area, rather than at the flashpoint.

Those who centre months of their year around collecting and building the fire were not impressed and the beacon was never repeated. For many years, the bonfire took place at a different location until that was redeveloped.

The high rates of unemployment, depravation, mental health problems and sub-standard social and privately rented housing in that area would suggest that the residents need redevelopment far more than they need a pile of pallets to set fire to.

As well as being the subject of a failed court challenge by two ministerial departments, what the fire will also be remembered for this year is the highest quota of middle-aged men in suits standing around it, looking awkward.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Jim Allister, Doug Beattie — they all made an appearance at the small fire to “show support”.

I can’t imagine any of those men would want a fire with a 24-hour rave music soundtrack next to their house, but then they’ll never have that problem.

Working-class unionism has been poorly served politically. It is good that there is now a realisation from the main parties that they have to do more than just pay lip service to those areas in order to rely on their votes.

But I’d rather see their leaders stand shoulder to shoulder with the residents of Tigers Bay in calling for better housing, training and employment opportunities and better healthcare for the residents of the estate.

But no, the issue that finally made them stand up and take notice was the right to burn a pile of wood at an interface.