Gardai supporting council workers while collecting bonfire material on Mayberry Road coming from industrial estates
Call-out to businesses to secure wood and pallets at Halloween to prevent illegal bonfires
Businesses should play their part in protecting the local environment this Halloween season, said a Tallaght councillor.
This week, Fianna Fáil councillor for Tallaght Central, Adam Smyth, has called for businesses to help prevent the rise in illegal bonfires around Halloween night in the area.
He asked all businesses to “safely secure wood and pallets and other combustible materials at this time of the year,” as they would normally be collected or stolen from them to set up fires.
Cllr Smyth sent out a letter addressed to local business owners.
“We have some fantastic residents’ associations, Tidy Towns groups and other neighbourhood groups, who have transformed our community spaces and green areas, which we all enjoy and benefit from,” he said.
“And already we have seen one bonfire in Kilnamanagh, much to the frustration of the local resident association which has done such fantastic work in their area.
“With business and community groups working together, we can vastly reduce the incidents of these bonfires, which not only destroy our beautiful green areas and parklands, but regularly cause injury to our residents and chaos for our emergency services on bonfire night.”
According to Cllr Smyth, SDCC spend in the region of €150,000 each year between clean-ups and repairs after bonfire night, which “could be better used.”
Last Halloween, 92 of the 218 bonfires occurring across South Dublin County were in Tallaght, and the council spent €65,000 for clean-up costs.
Last October, 255.2 tonnes of bonfire materials were collected, including October 31 and the bank holiday weekend.
While releasing this data earlier in 2025, SDCC also highlighted that burnt earth takes “approximately 18 months” to recover.
Cllr Smyth concluded, “We need both the community and business to play their part, along with the council, to reduce this scourge. If we all stay aware, report any buildup of materials, and let it be known that we don’t want these bonfires, we can make a difference here.”
