Limerick crib recalls the myth of the wily fox saving the Holy Family

Cribs come in all shapes and sizes, and exuding varying degrees of piety or cheeriness, depending on which set of people or what establishment happens to be displaying this Christmas tradition. 

As a campaigner against blood sports, my favourite is the crib that appears every year at the Dominican Church in Limerick. In addition to the usual cast of donkey, cow, and sheep to accompany the birth of Jesus, there’s a fox.

The effigy recalls a legend associated with the Holy Family. The friars at the church are always glad to recount the story. According to it, the Three Wise Men left a fox cub at the stable in Bethlehem as a gift.

At the time the cub had grown to maturity King Herod was intent on killing Jesus. His warriors set off with packs of baying bloodhounds to track down the child he feared might one day threaten his power.

The legend relates that the fox, out of a divine loyalty, threw the hounds off the scent, thus enabling Mary, Joseph and Jesus to escape.

Like all legends we’ll never know how much truth there is in the story or where it originated. What I do know for certain is that I prefer it to the stark and depressing reality of how we treat the fox in present day Ireland.

At this time of year the wily creature is chased to exhaustion. Then it has the skin ripped from its bones.

I hope we’ll elect humane politicians next year who will be inspired by that fox in the crib. I pray that they’ll enact a law to protect this iconic creature from man’s need to kill or terrorise animals for “sport”.

John Fitzgerald

Lower Coyne Street

Callan, Co Kilkenny