The second annual exhibition of the Nativity scene was held for two days at the Coemin Center in Plesington.
More than 100 Nativity scene exhibitions from around the world have been shown, including a number of new products from last year.
Pastor Shane Egan organized an event after the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin.
I decided to write to several people who want to donate the birth scenes of the show, including Pope Francis.
Bishop Eamonn Walsh and Bishop Dennis Notley were among the first to respond, agreeing to provide birth scenes for last year’s event. Father Liam Coiffe provided nine birth scenes, while Father Liam Rainey sent one birth scene from the Holy Land.
Nativity scenes came from Haiti, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Tanzania, Palestine, Congo, Bethlehem, and Russia, to name a few.
Some were incredibly ornate, while others used the simplest materials to weave and carve shapes.
New to this year’s fair were birth scenes from Vietnam, Cambodia, Malta and Poland.
The crib designed and built by Jan Kirsz has been a part of the exhibition after winning the public award for the Miniature Crib Scene, which is held in Krakow every year in preparation for Christmas.
Visitors to the gallery can also make a donation to the Daughters of Charity which operates a homeless shelter in Dublin, with Blessington’s confirmation candidates declining annually.
People of Wicklow
