The traditional live animal crib returns to the Mansion House for Christmas this year.
It opens to the public today, with strict measures in place including a queue management system, a sanitisation station, and extra cleaning.
The tradition has been a joint venture between Dublin City Council and the Irish Farmers’ Association since 1995.
The crib features a sheep, donkey and goat which are brought in each morning and returned to a farm on the outskirts of the city each evening.
It's open daily from 11am to 5pm and closes at 1pm on Christmas Eve.
Tradition
Lord Mayor Hazel Chu says: "I know there’s a lot of things that won’t be normal this Christmas, but I was determined the Crib would be back this year.
"It's 25 years since it was first launched and in that time it has become a Dublin tradition. Many of the children who come in often don’t get to see animals like this up close. We will of course be doing things a little different at the Mansion House this year but I’m delighted to say the Crib is back."
The IFA Live Animal Crib at @MansionHouseDub is open! This collaboration between @IFAmedia and @DubCityCouncil will be open 11am to 5pm daily and will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve. Come and see this 25 year Dublin tradition.
Photo @conorsphotos pic.twitter.com/l0Pzr4nGOE— Lord Mayor of Dublin (@LordMayorDublin) December 8, 2020
IFA President Tim Cullinan says: "I would like to thank everybody who has made this possible, especially given the year we have had. It’s a wonderful partnership between ourselves and the Lord Mayor’s office.
"We see it as a gift to the people of Dublin who can enjoy a traditional Nativity scene as part of their visit to our capital city."
Photo: @LordMayorDublin on Twitter
