I didn’t know what to expect as I climbed Kelly’s Field on a Thursday afternoon to view David Best’s latest creation, Temple. I was not disappointed, the all wood creation dominates the surrounding area, and sees over the whole of the city of Derry ( both sides of the river).
As I walked around taking in the detail and tremendous craftsmanship, pilgrims arrived in a steady stream to place notes or bits of wood with messages they want to leave to the flames, some left loved ones names that have passed away, some left messages of burden and suffering, all of which they want to leave as the temple departs in flames. People have been arriving all week to leave their messages or simply take in the grandiose of it all. Old people and the very young (groups of school children stream round the temple) all seem equally mesmerised by it all.
David Best, the man behind the Temple first created a temple to burn at the Burning Man festival in America, as a tribute to a young man who died in a motor biking accident. As David himself said “Northern Ireland does very well without the likes of David Best. They have already manifested that. There is grief but there is also absolute joy – this is to share in that.”
Of course the image of bonfires in Northern Ireland is something everyone here is used to. But this is a bonfire with a difference, it brings all walks of life together in a peaceful manner. On Saturday evening thousands arrived. There was a tremendous air of excitement in the air as the twenty thousand strong audience watched the temple being ignited. Cheers erupted from the huge crowd as the flames engulfed the temples steeple and sored high into the sky.
This was truly a unique experience for myself and my family, as well as for Northern Ireland. It’s taken the traditional view of a bonfire and turned it on it’s head. A true celebration of inclusivity and peace!
