Fireworks Around The World

Amateur and professional members can come to the convention to purchase fireworks, paper goods, novelty items, non-explosive chemical components and much more at the PGI trade show. Before the nightly fireworks displays and competitions, club members have a chance to enjoy open shooting of any and all legal consumer or professional grade fireworks, as well as testing and display of hand-built fireworks. The week ends with the Grand Public Display on Friday night, which gives the chosen display company a chance to strut their stuff in front of some of the world's biggest fireworks aficionados. The stakes are high and much planning is put into the show. In 1994 a shell of 36 inches (910 mm) in diameter was fired during the convention, more than twice as large as the largest shell usually seen in the USA, and shells as large as 24 inches (610 mm) are frequently fired.
Halloween
In Ireland (both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland), during the Halloween season, there are many fireworks displays. The largest are in the cities of Belfast, Derry and Dublin. In 2010, the Halloween fireworks display in Derry captivated an audience of over 20,000 people. The sale of fireworks is strongly restricted in the Republic of Ireland, though many illegal fireworks are sold throughout October or smuggled over the Northern Ireland border (where there is a large black market for fireworks). In the Republic, the punishment for possessing fireworks without a licence is a €10,000 fine for possessing them, and/or a five year prison sentence. The punishment for having or lighting fireworks in a public place is the same.