When I was growing up in Limerick in the 1940s / 1950s religion had a great influence on our lives, the Redemptorist Fathers held sway locally, yielding more power than the local bishop. Founded in Italy by Saint Alphonsus of Liguria, they arrived in Limerick in 1853; they were known for their preaching ability, earning the name “Hell fire preachers” also for their compassion as confessors. The monks were known affectionately in Limerick as” The Holy Fathers”, or just” The Fathers”.
The Fathers were very popular throughout the country conducting Missions and Religious Retreats, even in the most remote parishes. Religious events helped to lessen the long winter evenings, and gave the parishioners something new to talk about. The story is told of one of their preachers in full flow in a rural parish, preaching on the day of General Judgement, “On that day there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” he went on”I repeat” (louder tone) “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (louder still) “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” Timed lady in second row puts her hand in the air, “What is it madam” asks his reverence, irritably. Through her toothless mouth the lady asks the question. “What happens Father if you don’t have teeth”? The preacher never lost for words answers slowly “Madam on that glorious day, teeth will be provided.” In Limerick they also set about forming an arch confraternity for men of the city which was said to be the largest of its kind in the Catholic World.
The Mens’ Confraternity of The Holy Family held three sessions in the Redemptorist Church of Mount St. Alphonsus for adult men weekly. Monday night was for the men of St. John’s Parish, Tuesday was for St. Michaels, and Wednesday for the men of St. Marys, sickness was the only acceptable excuse for non attendance, weather conditions didn’t matter, a strong coat and maybe a jute bag pulled over the head and shoulders fought all weathers. These nights were looked forward to by men and women alike, the men for the camaraderie and banter of their fellow parishioners, and the lecture which was usually interesting, not always dealing with religious matters, there was also the temptation of a pint or two of Guinness on the way home, just to shorten the journey, or be sociable. With the absence of the men it was time for the ladies to relax and with the children in bed, a neighbour’s house would be visited, and the cup of tea, a Woodbine (cigarette) plus no small bit of gossip enjoyed. Many contentious issues were raised by the preachers, at these weekly meetings, some of which did not bring credit to the priests or members of the confraternity.
“Putting Christ back into Christmas and the elimination of the X factor as in Xmas” was the theme chosen for the three weekly meetings early November 1952. “Christmas had lost its sacredness to commercialism and Christ was now known as X, the unknown factor”. The true meaning of Christmas the celebration of the birth of Christ was being forgotten. Everyone was encouraged to display a crib or some nativity scene on their windows for the celebration of Christ’s birth. Christmas Cards were to be of a religious theme, eliminating Robins, Wrens, Bits of Holly, Snowmen, Stagecoaches, and Ye Merry Gentlemen, those pagan cards already purchased for early postage to America and other places afar had to be consigned to the dustbin, where possible cards were to be of Irish manufacture, thus creating employment. The rush was on, O’Mahonys’ of O’Connell Street, Cogans of Wickham Street, and other religious shops couldn’t get crib figures and cards into their stores quickly enough. A shilling deposit and sixpence a week until the goods were paid for, and “you are lucky to get them Missus they are so scarce” said the sales people, as the small crib treasures were brought home in triumph for the holy season.
“We are half way there” said my Mother when she arrived home with her precious purchases, having had them blessed by The Franciscan Friars (“I gave The Friars the business The Redemptorists have enough”) says she, we now had to make a stable for the Holy Family. An idea was hatched we would get a cardboard box and shape it into the form of a stable where Jesus was born, easier said than done, as most people in Limerick had the same idea so boxes were hard to procure. Our local grocer Aeneas Leane to whom we had been loyal for years couldn’t help us, “they have all been taken up for the past two weeks” says he, “if I come across one I will keep it for you” promises, promises! Trying as hard as we could we failed to get a box, until finally mother arrived home triumphantly on her bicycle with a broken box which she managed to find in Delanys’ of Parnell Street. Let the work begin, grey crepe paper was procured and taped to the side of the about to be crib, moss was added to the floor, when we were finished we were very proud of our work as we placed the figurines in the new home and laid it on the window ledge for all to see. Almost every house in the area had a crib or Nativity Scene on display that year.
After the sixth of January each year mother would take the figures from the crib wrap them carefully and store stable and figures away safely on top of the wardrobe in the” Master Bedroom”. This she did each year until she died in 1987. Mary and I married in 1965 and like all young couples at that time money was scarce, very little left over after mortgage was paid. In those days in most organisations a lady had to resign from her place of employment on entering into marriage. Having only one income put a great financial strain on the relationship, but we like many others survived.
On our first Christmas together I set out for town to do my Christmas shopping. I was to purchase one item only which would start us on the road to many happy Christmases, of course to continue a long family and Limerick tradition this item had to be crib figures or more correctly figurines. The ecclesiastical shops now had a full stock of figurines all beautifully designed; sure poor Michelangelo could have stayed lying on his back painting the Sistine Ceiling until he died had he known there were such budding artists, with such artistic skills waiting to succeed him. My problem was money, or the lack of it, while the figurines were beautiful the shopkeepers had attached them with what seemed to me an outlandish price, far beyond my budget. What could I do only shop around, finally finding a shop with only one set left and willing to negotiate the price. The Baby Jesus was beautiful and so were Mary and Joseph, but a more thuggish pack of mafia like shepherds I have never seen, even the cow and donkey seemed to wish to keep their distance from them. One shepherd was so un-shepherd like that instead of a lamb he carried a chicken under his arm!
Home I went and showed them to my wife Mary, “Were they the best you could get” says she with no little hint of sarcasm “Yes says I”, away with me to find a cardboard box. Life had become more sophisticated so I decided to make a more natural crib. Dark sheets of artists paper were bought, these I rolled in balls, when opened they gave a rocky impression. I then attached the rocky paper to the box. Next step out to the garden for moss, holly, ivy, cones, and bits of pine to decorate the stable inside and out, a little straw was found for the manger. A small bulb was attached to the roof and cotton wool used as snow, finally an angel was mounted on wire and hovered on high over the Holy Family, when finalised the figures were put into place, surprisingly everything looked well and ready for Christmas.
The holly ivy, etc. were added fresh every year. One year disaster struck, when all the figures were in place we couldn’t find Jesus, we searched the house but no sign of him, the cat was blamed, but as he was so well fed it was hardly likely he would eat the infant. Off with me to town o search for a new baby, not an easy task as I was to learn. At this time shops selling religious goods, and taking mass bookings, had been opened in most of the churches. Oh yes, they had cribs and crib figures for sale but not a separate figure of the baby. I tried The Knock Bureau in Catherine Street hoping for a miracle, only to be told “To try the 1£ shops” which I did finding there, Santa’s , reindeers, sleighs with or without Rudolph, Christmas trees, angels with wings on high, all available in chocolate or solid form, but no spare baby. On arriving home I found an old plastic box which at one time played a Christmas Carol but had long since lost its tune, it did have an infant on the lid which I carefully prised off and filed down the baby before placing it carefully in the manger.
Some years ago when money became more plentiful I suggested making a new crib with better quality figures only to be told by the family in no uncertain manner that our original crib was part of Christmas in our home which they all looked forward to and not to attempt changing it. The crib was on display for its 57th anniversary this year and last week sent to the attic to sleep for the next eleven months. What happened to the little figure of Jesus? One day doing some work in the hall I accidentally knocked over an ornamental ceramic jar, and you guessed it out popped the little baby. Was it the cat, we will never know, he won’t tell!
Some form of Nativity display is still traditional in Limerick, even in the shops a crib is displayed alongside the Christmas tree and other decorations. The majority of Christmas Cards sold in Limerick are still of a religious theme, The Holy Fathers did a good weeks work. The Redemptorist Fathers are still strong, but their sermons are now about the love of God and not His wrath. The once great confraternity is only a shadow of what it used to be one meeting per month now and ladies are allowed to attend its mass and sermon (heresy). Confraternity members of the past must be unsettled in their graves when they see the changes, and the female presence too, God help us! It is said the ladies ran out of woodbines!
Dec 2021
Killaloe-Ballina