Prague, 31 August 2026 – A blessed replica of the Infant Jesus of Prague will be presented to the Diocese of Kerry in Ireland. The project was developed in cooperation with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ireland and forms part of the programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. As part of the programme, County Kerry has been paired with the Czech Republic as a partner region for showcasing Czech culture, traditions, and contemporary creativity. Czech creators have come up with a unique artistic design as a symbol of friendship between Prague and Ireland. The statue was formally blessed on Monday 31 August by the Archbishop of Prague, Stanislav Přibyl, at a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda. “The Infant Jesus of Prague travelling to County Kerry is an expression of Prague’s friendship with Ireland and also recalls the journey our two countries have shared within the European Union. In 2004, Ireland welcomed us into the EU while holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, and now, as it once again holds the Presidency, we are presenting the people of Ireland with one of Prague’s symbols. The Infant Jesus of Prague is among the most precious things our city can share with the world,” says Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda. “For centuries, the Infant Jesus of Prague has brought people together across nations and generations. I am delighted that it will now become a symbol of friendship between the Czech Republic and Ireland. May it be a sign of hope, peace, and God’s love for all who encounter it,” says Archbishop of Prague Stanislav Přibyl. Ambassador Pavel Vošalík will accompany the Infant Jesus of Prague to Ireland and, together with Prague City councillor Tomáš Slabihoudek, will present it to Raymond Anthony Browne, Bishop of Kerry. The statue will make its first public appearance on 8 September at the traditional pilgrimage Mass at the Marian well in Ballyheigue, attended each year by around a thousand worshippers from across Ireland. “The choice of County Kerry has particular symbolic significance for us. In 2004, when the Czech Republic joined the European Union during Ireland’s previous Presidency, Killarney was the town paired with the Czech Republic to welcome us into the EU,” says Pavel Vošalík, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ireland. “The Infant Jesus of Prague is one of Prague’s best-known symbols around the world, and it holds a very special place in Ireland. That makes it all the more fitting that through it we can present Prague not only as a city with a rich history, but also as a place of vibrant culture, outstanding craftsmanship, and contemporary Czech creativity. The new robes incorporate a wealth of symbols of Prague and Czech identity, and I believe the Infant Jesus will become a beautiful and lasting link between Prague and Ireland,” says Tomáš Slabihoudek, Prague City councillor for culture, tourism, and heritage conservation. The Infant Jesus of Prague is particularly revered in Ireland. Known as the Child of Prague, it is one of the best-known religious symbols in Irish folk tradition. For generations, Irish families have believed that placing the statue outside the house before a wedding will bring fine weather on the day of the ceremony. The custom remains one of Ireland’s best-known wedding traditions. “There is a tradition stretching back more than 400 years of dressing the Infant Jesus of Prague, and its garments have always reflected the era in which they were made. We wanted to continue that tradition rather than simply reproduce historical styles. I believe cultural heritage stays alive when we treat it with respect while also adding something of our own time. To me, that is a beautiful example of modern, sophisticated branding for Prague,” says Jana Adamcová, vice-chair of the board of Prague City Tourism. Prague City Tourism worked with a number of leading Czech creators and manufacturers in fashion, design, glassmaking, and costume jewellery to create the Infant Jesus’s new look for Ireland. Together, they produced a work that combines historical symbolism with Czech craftsmanship and a contemporary artistic vision. The ceremonial robes were designed by leading Czech fashion designer Zuzana Kubíčková, one of the most prominent figures on the contemporary Czech fashion scene, whose work is acclaimed for its exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. For the Infant Jesus, she chose velvet in a deep shade of green evoking Ireland and its national identity. At the heart of the design is a flowing tunic inspired by the simple garment in which, according to tradition, the Infant Jesus arrived in the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1556. The tunic is decorated with a grapevine motif, with clusters of grapes embroidered in amethyst-coloured glass beads. In Christian symbolism, the vine represents the bond between Christ and the faithful and recalls the words of the Gospel, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” It also refers to Prague’s thousand-year-old tradition of viticulture, whose origins are associated with Saint Wenceslas. “In creating the royal cloak, I paid tribute to smocking, a traditional decorative technique of gathering fabric developed in the islands from the early modern period onwards. Its structure creates a ceremonial silhouette reminiscent of a coronation robe. The collar features a lime-tree leaf motif, a traditional symbol of the Czech lands that also forms part of the heraldic decoration of the City of Prague,” says designer Zuzana Kubíčková. The cloak thus brings Czech and Irish cultural traditions together. The crown and royal orb were handcrafted specially for the occasion in Crystal Valley. Czech glassmakers and the Crystal Paradise costume jewellery centre of the Union of Glass and Costume Jewellery Producers were involved in their design and manufacture. The project also involved the vocational training team and students studying costume jewellery and glassmaking at the Secondary School of Crafts and Services in Jablonec nad Nisou, under the guidance of Pavel Hartl. Jablonec-based companies Lucid, AgPlus, and Fabos supplied components and glass stones and assisted with surface finishing. The combination of red silk velvet with blue and red stones alludes to the Bohemian crown jewels and the Saint Wenceslas tradition of Czech statehood. The robes are completed by a heart-shaped pendant of ruby-red cut crystal, inspired by the heart symbol Václav Havel added to his signature. Through Havel, the heart became one of the informal symbols of modern Prague and has repeatedly appeared in works by Czech artists commemorating his legacy. Here, it represents Prague as a city that, alongside its history and cultural wealth, also values humanity, freedom, hope, and mutual understanding. The base of the Infant Jesus bears the message “Love and Blessings from Prague • 2026”, a symbolic expression of friendship and goodwill accompanying Prague’s gift to Ireland. The Infant Jesus of Prague is one of Prague’s most important spiritual symbols. The more than 400-year-old statue, housed in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague’s Lesser Quarter, attracts pilgrims from around the world and is one of the best-known Czech spiritual symbols abroad. The Prague Carmelites touched this blessed replica to the original statue, making it what is known as a “touched copy”.
