Several hundred mourners have attended the funeral of John Steele, who died after he fell from a bonfire he was helping to build in Co Antrim last Saturday.
The funeral cortege passed the site of the 50ft-high pyre in the Antiville estate in Larne where the incident occurred. Mr Steele was a window cleaner and father-of-two aged in his 30s.
The funeral service took place in Mr Steele’s home in the Antiville estate. A large number of mourners gathered outside the house and listened to the service which was broadcast through a speaker.
Mourners were told Mr Steele was an avid Liverpool fan with an interest in motorbikes and fishing. They heard that his family were thankful to all those, including the emergency services, who helped him and that they had been overwhelmed by the support received since his death.
His coffin was then carried from the house past the bonfire site and on towards Larne Cemetery.
The bonfire where the fall occurred was located on land owned by Mid and East Antrim Council. It was one of around 250 built in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland to usher in the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season – the Twelfth of July.
The bonfire was taken down on Sunday afternoon and the remnants were set alight at a vigil for Mr Steele on Sunday night. The council confirmed on Monday that an investigation into the fatal fall had commenced. - PA