There will be no live animals featured in the Christmas Nativity crib outside the Mansion House for the first time in 27 years.
Since it was first introduced in 1995 outside the Mayor's residence, the life-size stable has had donkeys, goats and sheep, drawing in large crowds each year. On Thursday, Green party Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy brought forward a motion calling for live animals to be removed from the nativity to Dublin City Council, which was supported by the protocol committee.
Lord Mayor Conroy has confirmed that while the nativity scene will still go up for the Christmas festivities this year, it won't feature live animals. However, several Fine Gael councillors have put forward a motion for next month's council meeting calling for the crib to be placed elsewhere in the capital.
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Fine Gael Minister Patrick O’Donovan said he will be working with the IFA on a new location for the attraction which attracts thousands of children and their families every Christmas. The Minister said that children "suffered enough over the last two years having to live with Covid" and wondering would Santa and Rudolph manage to get to their homes with lockdowns and restrictions.
He said: "Let them enjoy this Christmas. Let’s have a Nativity crib in the capital city for all children to visit.
"There cannot be a scrooge like agenda from any council for children at Christmas time. I’ll be working with my Fine Gael colleagues and all councillors on Dublin City Council to save the crib."
Cllr James Geoghegan, Fine Gael’s group leader on Dublin City Council, said they will be submitting an emergency motion to the local authority to overturn the decision at their November 7 meeting. He said: "Not even the Grinch would ban this loved Christmas tradition. We have to overturn this and look for a new location – perhaps St Stephen’s Green.
Cllr Geoghegan added: "We are calling on the Lord Mayor to allow preparations for the live crib to continue until all elected members of Dublin City Council have had their say." He suggested that St Stephen's Green would be a good location for the nativity crib if possible.
A spokesman for Dublin City Council told Dublin Live: "The Live Crib has played a valuable part of Dublin’s Christmas celebrations at the Mansion House for the last 25 years. The Crib has always been overseen to the highest standards through the care and expertise of the IFA and the DSPCA and it has given much enjoyment to generations of Dubliners.
"However, the effects of Covid on how we approach events mean that the scene must now be viewed from behind a Perspex barrier. Events are evolving and changing with the public to create an engaging and interactive experience for all.
"For this year, the Lord Mayor wants to create a new experience that will allow children to be part of the scene rather than just looking at it. The sole reason behind this decision is to attempt to create a new option for families and children in the heart of the city that they can physically interact with."
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