A new campaign has been launched today aimed at highlighting the dangers of fireworks and, in particular, the damaging effect they can have on vulnerable people and animals.
Irish Guide Dogs, the ISPCA, Dublin Fire Brigade and An Garda Síochána are among the organisations involved in this year's Fireworks Awareness Campaign.
Fire officers held a small fireworks demonstration during the event and appealed to the public not to use the pyrotechnic devices.
"I'm sure people have already started to hear the sound of fireworks crackling when it gets dark across the city and county. At the moment it's fairly low activity, but we would see that ramping up as it gets closer to Halloween," said Denis Keeley, Chief Fire Officer with Dublin Fire Brigade.
"Fireworks can have a life-changing impact on people. We've seen horrific injuries, hand injuries, eye injuries," he added.
But it is the vulnerable in society who often suffer the most.
Léan Kennedy, Adovcacy and Policy Officer with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, says she has to change her whole daily schedule to avoid fireworks at this time of year, after previously experiencing their negative impact on her guide dog.
"I was walking home from the shop. A firework was let off. It did spook him. He did react and, luckily, the team at Irish Guide Dogs brought brought him back to training for a few weeks and worked really hard to desensitise him to the sound of loud noises," she said.
"So I was able to continue working with him, but unfortunately, that's not always the case
" I do worry about it every year and restrict my daily routine as much as possible."
All animals can be traumatised by the sound of fireworks, says Alice Lacey, Animal Welfare Officer with the ISPCA.
"If a dog is exposed to that early on in life, they can actually end up having a phobia of those sounds. And then every year, obviously when the fireworks start, it happens all over again."
"Advice for people during that time is keeping your animal in a quiet, secure place. If you've got a crate, cover it," she added.
"Drown out the sound, maybe with some light music and you can also use things called snoods.
"It's almost like a sock for all the world that you put over the dog's head to cover their ears to just keep them calm."
Speaking at the event, Minister of State James Brown said he wanted to once again remind the public that fireworks are illegal.
"It's a very serious criminal offence. People can face up to five years imprisonment and heavy fines," he said.
"So we're asking people just once again. Please don't use these fireworks, they are dangerous.
"But also this year, we want to highlight the real distressing nature of them for vulnerable people, for people who have other types of challenges and for pets and animals as well, right across their city and right across their country."
