Warning that TikTok ‘likes' are driving race for ‘biggest bonfire' and putting communities at risk

A growing trend among young people to build the 'biggest bonfire at Halloween' is putting local communities at risk, a Louth councillor has warned. Speaking at the latest meeting of Drogheda Borough District, Cllr Eric Donovan said social media platforms such as TikTok were contributing to the problems seen around Halloween festivities. 'There is this idea that it is trendy now to have a bonfire, maybe TikTok and some of these other platforms are causing this, young people trying to have a bigger and bigger bonfire,' he said. Read more Louth's second-busiest road with 20,000 vehicles a day has no timeline for €16m upgrade He warned that such fires could quickly become dangerous, particularly when located near homes. 'These things can get very out of hand, especially if they are close to properties,' he added. According to Cllr Donovan, Halloween bonfires have become 'much more problematic over recent years'. 'I think we need to look at how we celebrate Halloween. I know bonfires can be a tradition, but it doesn't have to be the biggest bonfire,' he said. The issue was raised during a wider discussion on anti-social behaviour around Halloween. Cllr Pio Smith said council tenants involved in anti-social behaviour should be made aware of the potential consequences for their tenancy, particularly in cases requiring a Garda response. 'What I am asking is that when gardai come across individuals involved in the sort of behaviour we saw before Halloween such as blocking roads, that their addresses are cross-checked to see if they are living in council houses,' he said. He added that the local authority should ensure tenants understood the implications of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. 'We were very lucky this year, and all credit to the council staff and gardai, they did brilliant work,' he said. Cllr Smith also highlighted concerns about anti-social behaviour in Boice Court, which he said had become more noticeable since the opening of a new walkway between two estates. 'People are asking for the wall to be raised on that walkway, as it is very low, and there is a lot of anti-social behaviour going on there,' he said. The meeting heard that significant volumes of bonfire material were removed by council crews ahead of Halloween weekend. Members were also told that staff from the council's anti-social behaviour team had been actively engaging with tenants and advising them of the consequences of involvement in incidents, including the possibility of tenancy warnings. However, the housing section had not received any reports of council tenants being involved in anti-social behaviour during the Halloween period.