Farmer’s Christmas crib is a labour of love

Farmer’s Christmas crib is a labour of love

21 December 2016

A BRIGHT farmer has rediscovered the joy of Christmas through a unique community project.

Christmas had become a bleak time of year for John McIlmail since the death of his mother Rosaleen three years ago.

Also associating the time of year with the loss of his beloved grandmother Margaret Mary, John said he considered December the “dark days” of winter.

But an idea to restore, and embellish, a family tradition has reignited John’s festive joy.

After months of preparation, he has created a nativity crib in an ancient corbel pig sty on his family farm.

The crib, in memory of Rosaleen and Margaret Mary, has become an attraction in the lane-ways of Coniamstown and Bright with families coming from across the area to see the display, which is composed of hand-painted figurines made to order in Padre Pio’s home town, San Giovanni Rotondo.

Waiting one year for the valuable figurines to arrive, John said he was delighted to receive them in May and hid them in his home, not telling anyone about his Christmas plans.

Having always been responsible for putting up his grandmother’s crib before she died, he said he thought it would be meaningful to erect the new crib on her anniversary, November 25, adding lights and stars to the roof to mark his mum’s anniversary almost a week later.

Living in one of the oldest houses in the area, with one of the three foot walls in his farmstead at least 800 years old, John said the corbel pig sty, also dating back to the early 14th century, was the perfect choice for the nativity scene.

Within days of it being finished, word has spread about the festive attraction with children arriving each day with their parents to have a look.

John, who is busy plucking hundreds of turkeys for his Christmas orders, said so many people are arriving that he just leaves the farm gate open so they can access the corbel themselves.

He said the enterprise means he is enjoying Christmas for the first time in years.

“I know this is a crib my grandmother would be pleased with and it is also being enjoyed by the parish of Bright,” he said.

“And what a response I have had, it has been great. It gives me such a lift to see the children enjoying it so much, They often go to see Santa and now they can visit the crib too.

“We are humble people and the crib is done with humility but that is not stopping so many children finding beauty and joy in it.”

“I used to dislike Christmas so much but now that I have the crib, and the gates open to visitors, I am looking forward to it. My heart has opened up to Christmas again.”