Replica mosque torched on top of bonfire in Northern Ireland
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In a controversial incident tied to Northern Ireland’s annual loyalist bonfire tradition, a replica of a mosque was set alight in Moygashel, County Tyrone, on Thursday night.
The model, placed atop a large structure of wooden pallets, was burned before police could remove it, despite being identified as a hate display.
The event occurred ahead of the Eleventh Night celebrations marking the 1690 Battle of the Boyne.
Protestant Unionists burn mosque effigy in Northern Ireland
— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) July 10, 2026
A large loyalist bonfire topped with a replica mosque was set alight in Moygashel, County Tyrone, last night.
Banners on the pyre read “Secure our borders” and “End the threat of radical Islam.”
The Moygashel Bonfire… pic.twitter.com/defzcuLCF3
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers described the act as a potential hate-motivated crime.
A 56-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of displaying threatening or abusive material intended to stir up hatred and is due to appear in court.
The replica featured banners reading “Secure our borders” and “End the threat of radical Islam,” along with an effigy inside holding what appeared to be a knife and a Daesh flag.
Politicians across the region strongly condemned the display.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn called it a “sickening act of intimidation.” Other leaders labeled it a “horrible racist display” and accused it of “sowing hate in society.”
The incident has been viewed as particularly painful for the Muslim community, coming weeks after anti-migrant violence in Belfast.
Muslim community representatives expressed deep distress.
One community voice described the burning as “a very painful moment for Muslims,” emphasizing that “it can never be justified.”
This year’s bonfire follows a pattern of controversy at the site, including last year’s burning of migrant effigies.
