A man has been arrested following a fire on Tuesday in the crypt of St. Michan’s Church of Ireland in Dublin. The blaze destroyed or heavily damaged five mummies, including an 800-year-old mummy known as ‘The Crusader’ and the 400-year-old remains of a nun.
“I am devastated to say that vandalism has once again struck in the crypt of St Michan’s, Church Street,” said Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin. “The Fire Brigade was called and members dealt with the fire. However, significant damage has been done to the mummies. These historic remains are woven into the history of the city of Dublin and emblazoned in the imaginations of visitors and tourists from home and abroad.
“We do not yet know what the future is for the mummies as the Archdeacon of Dublin and I fear that they have been destroyed. These mummies are a national treasure and I am shocked at the sacrilege of the destruction of the remains of people who once lived.”
A man entered the church’s crypt around 4 pm on June 11th and a fire was started. No one was injured, and police and fire officials quickly responded to the scene.
St. Michan’s dates back to the 11th century. Its crypts of house several mummified remains. The limestone walls in the vaults maintain dry air conditions, ideal for preservation. Among the preserved remains are the 400-year-old body of a nun, a six-and-a-half-foot man thought to have been a crusader, a body with its feet and right hand severed, and the Sheares brothers, Henry and John, who participated in the 1798 rebellion.
“Our security system is very tight and thankfully we have CCTV in operation,” explained Archdeacon David Pierpoint, who is the Vicar of St Michan’s. “The footage has been handed to the Gardai and the investigation is in their hands. We are very grateful to the Gardai and Fire Brigade for their efforts and support in putting out the fire.
“The crypt is a crime scene but I have just been given access to see the damage. The mummies are sitting in a foot of water. They need a very specific atmosphere and I fear that at least two of the remains, including the Crusader, have been destroyed. I will contact the National Museum to see if anything can be saved.”
This is not the first time that vandals have attacked the remains in St. Michan’s crypt. In 2019, the head of the ‘Crusader’ was cut off and stolen, with police finding it several days later.
Top Image: The crypt and remains before the fire. Photo by Olliebailie / Wikimedia Commons
A man has been arrested following a fire on Tuesday in the crypt of St. Michan’s Church of Ireland in Dublin. The blaze destroyed or heavily damaged five mummies, including an 800-year-old mummy known as ‘The Crusader’ and the 400-year-old remains of a nun.
“I am devastated to say that vandalism has once again struck in the crypt of St Michan’s, Church Street,” said Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin. “The Fire Brigade was called and members dealt with the fire. However, significant damage has been done to the mummies. These historic remains are woven into the history of the city of Dublin and emblazoned in the imaginations of visitors and tourists from home and abroad.
“We do not yet know what the future is for the mummies as the Archdeacon of Dublin and I fear that they have been destroyed. These mummies are a national treasure and I am shocked at the sacrilege of the destruction of the remains of people who once lived.”
A man entered the church’s crypt around 4 pm on June 11th and a fire was started. No one was injured, and police and fire officials quickly responded to the scene.
St. Michan’s dates back to the 11th century. Its crypts of house several mummified remains. The limestone walls in the vaults maintain dry air conditions, ideal for preservation. Among the preserved remains are the 400-year-old body of a nun, a six-and-a-half-foot man thought to have been a crusader, a body with its feet and right hand severed, and the Sheares brothers, Henry and John, who participated in the 1798 rebellion.
“Our security system is very tight and thankfully we have CCTV in operation,” explained Archdeacon David Pierpoint, who is the Vicar of St Michan’s. “The footage has been handed to the Gardai and the investigation is in their hands. We are very grateful to the Gardai and Fire Brigade for their efforts and support in putting out the fire.
“The crypt is a crime scene but I have just been given access to see the damage. The mummies are sitting in a foot of water. They need a very specific atmosphere and I fear that at least two of the remains, including the Crusader, have been destroyed. I will contact the National Museum to see if anything can be saved.”
This is not the first time that vandals have attacked the remains in St. Michan’s crypt. In 2019, the head of the ‘Crusader’ was cut off and stolen, with police finding it several days later.
Top Image: The crypt and remains before the fire. Photo by Olliebailie / Wikimedia Commons
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