In pictures: Huge crowd gathers in Craigyhill as 'biggest bonfire in the world' is set alight

The event has attracted praise from far and wide, with many people extending congratulations to those behind the creation of the huge structure and the community spirit of the two-day pre-bonfire festival of culture celebrations.

And in the run-up to July 11, the massive bonfire attracted many visitors from all over Northern Ireland and further afield who came to gaze at the impressive structure and pose for a photo.

This year the Craigyhill Bonfire Committee put aside an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest bonfire in the world to concentrate fundraising for one-year-old local girl Pia-Grace who is battling cancer.

An online fundraising drive to assist with travel and accommodation costs for the little girl and her family during this stressful time is currently standing at £5,808.

“Once we heard about the story of Pia-Grace we decided without hesitation to abandon the Guinness World Record fundraising and put all our effort into raising funds for Pia-Grace’s family,” said a spokesperson for the group.

"This had a big impact on us, as only about three or four months ago one of our builder’s girlfriend lost her wee niece to the same disease at two years old, and we had done some fundraising for Angel Wishes on her behalf. So this was an easy decision for us to make - even though we had prepared for a full year getting this record, we felt that this was a million times more important.”