a construction site instead of a shed, with builders for wise men and baby Jesus asleep on a pallet. Ancient Bethlehem has been replaced by modern-day Navan and this crib, built by the pupils of St Ultan's Special School in the Co Meath town, has won a place at the prestigious annual Italian crib exhibition, Mosta 100 Presepi.

"We're absolutely delighted, " said home-economics teacher Paula Corcoran, who helped the six 12- to 14-yearolds build the crib, entitled Ultan's Towers.

"It's not every day you get a call from the Holy See and staff and students were in shock. There's been great excitement in the school. The children worked so hard on it and they really deserved this win."

The children, Gavin Browne, Sinead Briody, Kevin McLoughlin, Patrick McCabe, Dylan Geraghty and Carrie Fitzsimons, flew to Rome on Tuesday with their parents and school principal Carmel Bradwell for the exhibition.

"The school got a notification that the competition was running for the first time in Ireland, so we decided to get some of the students together and put in an entry, " said Corcoran. "The ideas they had were amazing and so original. We were really pleased with the result."

The crib is based on a construction site as, according to Corcoran, there are several of these around Navan at the moment and they have become a familiar sight to the students.

"As so many non-national workers come to Ireland to work on these sites, it seemed logical to the children that, in travelling to a foreign land, Mary and Joseph could well end up in one, " she said.

The crib is made of clay, paint, wood, polystyrene, sand and lollipop sticks.

Instead of sheep and donkeys, urban cats and dogs appear around the crib, while Joseph, in keeping with his carpenter's skills, is putting the finishing touches to an apartment block on the site.

An Irish flag sits atop the crane, while a fire burns in a barrel.

"Instead of myrrh and gold, it was decided that the three wise men would bring gifts such as take-away food, " said Corcoran. "Then dinky cars have been placed in the background for the builders and there are barrels full of water for mixing the cement. Nothing was left out."

Ultan's Towers won the primary school section in the competition, organised by Cribs Ireland, and is one of four Irish cribs on display at the exhibition in Rome. Along with the 100 cribs that took part in the competition, it will go on display at Farmleigh, Dublin from this weekend until 7 January.