Christmas miracle for Galway girls

For this scripture group, Christmas came early, writes Chai Brady

After two years of hard grind four local women’s dreams came to fruition when a new crib was unveiled in the Gaeltacht village of Moycullen, Co Galway.

The vision of the project was to bring “the true meaning of Christmas to the very heart of the village” according to organisers. The stone structure, An Cíllín, was based on the design of Séipéal mhic Dara, Gallarus Oratory in Dingle and St Kevin’s Kitchen in Glendalough.

Dismayed by the lack of cribs in shopping centres and public places, the prominence of Christmas music unrelated to Christ and the commercialisation of Christmas in general, the members of a parish scripture group decided to work towards building a crib in the centre of Moycullen.

More than 100 people attended the unveiling ceremony and blessing of the crib with the local school choir, from Scoil Mhuire, singing carols.

Materials

Local people worked together to complete the project, with many donating building materials such as sand and cement and endeavoured to assist in every way. The structure was made with a stone roof and walls.

The crib figurines were ordered from Italy 10 years ago but were not used, and remained in Blackrock in Dublin until they were given a new home, by the crib team who describe them as “magnificent” and built to endure inclement weather.

Throughout the years the four organisers sought advice from their PP Fr Michael Mc Loughlin who was described as very helpful and supported them “generously and wholeheartedly with words of wisdom and practical advice”.

Sara Kyne, who worked with Maureen Brown, Sara Stewart, Anne Cuffe and Mary Thorton, said: “Now after all the hard work we can see how it adds to our village making it special.”

“At night the crib is illuminated. It is a beacon of light on the long road from Galway to Clifden, a reminder to us all of the beautiful night 2000 years ago when Jesus came to be born among us to show us how to love one another.”