Ruadhán Jones
The Bishop’s comments come after the Press Association (PA) reported that a sectarian bonfire in Derry City is “held annually to mark the Catholic Feast of the Assumption”.
The bonfire on Lecky Road, in the Bogside, was due to be lit August 15, coinciding with the Catholic Church’s celebration of the Assumption.
The Bishop of Derry Dr Donal McKeown called PA’s reporting “tendentious”, adding that “for whatever reason, it gives a completely wrong understanding of what’s happening”.
In response to a question whether PA should release a clarification, the bishop told The Irish Catholic that “if you want to be a journalist, you have to be able to refer to the facts and not some kind of a fairy-tale”.
“My understanding is it commemorates the outbreak of the troubles in Derry Bogside on August 12, 1969,” Bishop McKeown explained. “It has nothing to do with a religious festival.
“This bonfire has gone on every year, it has no connection with August 15 and apes Loyalist bonfires. Bonfires are not a major element on nationalist side, the August 15 bonfire is a Derry phenomenon, very localised,” he finished.
In a statement, Bishop McKeown also criticised the inclusion of a banner referring to Constable Ronan Kerr, who was murdered 10 years ago.
The Catholic PSNI officer was killed when dissident republicans fitted a booby-trap bomb to his car in 2011.
“Such an action is offensive to the family of Constable Kerr and an affront to many both in the local community and further afield,” the bishop said in his August 16 statement.
“Every society needs an accountable police service. I encourage everyone to work together so that our police service is representative of the community it serves.”
The bonfire also referenced PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne, whose name featured alongside the letters ‘RIP’.
The names of other individuals were displayed on the pyre of pallets, alongside union flags and flags representing loyal orders.