By this morning, the embers will be smouldering on the last of the Eleventh Night bonfires.

This year, another person has lost their life in what’s been described as a tragic accident after falling from a bonfire in the Braniel estate in Belfast.

Two family homes in Greenisland, Co Antrim were also gutted in a blaze thought to have been caused by a nearby pyre.

Supporters often describe bonfires as cultural expression sites, but the reality of many loyalist bonfires is far more troubling.

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They are routinely constructed in interface areas or locations overlooking nationalist communities. Tricolours, election posters, GAA memorabilia, and effigies of numerous politicians and public figures have been placed atop to be burned.

What loyalism seems to fail to grasp is that such actions transform what might otherwise be a cultural commemoration into an unmistakable display of intimidation and exclusion.

This pattern has been repeated so frequently that it can no longer be dismissed as the behaviour of isolated individuals.

Whilst some communities have worked to reduce offensive displays, many of the largest bonfires continue to attract criticism because sectarian symbolism remains central to the spectacle.

The burning of another community’s emblems sends a clear message about who belongs – and who is being told they do not – in contested spaces. Rather than celebrating history, these acts perpetuate the divisions that the peace process has sought to overcome.

The scale of some bonfires also reflects an unhealthy competition for prestige and influence. Towers exceeding 100 feet have become symbols........

© The Irish News