St Michan's Church Dublin, Ireland: Anglican vicar appeals for support after arson attack removes mummies from public tours
An Anglican church in Dublin has appealed for support after it has had to close a crypt containing the 800-year-old mummified remains of a crusader which drew visitors from all across the world.
St Michan's Church has a unique crypt which has preserved the remains of a range of historical figures and as a result has been a popular tourist magnet in the city.
The crypt is also home to the mummified remains of ‘the thief’, as well as a man who is reputed to have been buried alive, the 400-year-old remains of a nun and other remains whose origins are unknown.
However, an arson attack on the crypt last June caused serious damage to the Crusader and the man buried alive. As a result the crypt has not been open to the public since.
It is hoped that it will reopen soon – but without the Crusader and the man who was buried alive.
The church hopes to exhume the damaged mummies and re-inter them in a different sealed crypt, when permission from church authorities and Dublin City Council is confirmed. The remains of the nun and the thief were undamaged.
In February 39-year-old Cristian Topiter pleaded guilty to arson at Dublin Central Criminal Court and was jailed for six years.
The court heard that the mummified remains were “irreplaceable” and “priceless”.
Dublin resident Topiter had a previous conviction for arson in Northern Ireland, where he caused £250,000 of damage to a building.
He also has previous convictions for possession of drugs, burglary, theft and common assault.
The church’s vicar, the Venerable Archdeacon David Pierpoint, said that the lack of tours to the crypts has caused a drop in parish income of up to £83,000.
The church just aims to break even, but electricity and gas prices have risen while they have not raised their tour fees. The small remaining congregation can no longer afford to maintain the historical church without the tourist income.
It is important to allow visitors from home and abroad “to see the phenomenon of what this actually is,” Mr Pierpoint said.
“As a parish, as the vicar of the parish and as parishioners, we're custodians of the whole church,” he said.
“Not just above the church, but what's below the church, and it's a rather heavy burden to bear.”
He said a huge amount of damage had been done to the estimated 800-year-old remains of the Crusader.
“All of his body has been charred – spine, his hands, one of his legs is completely missing,” he told the BBC, adding that the harm caused to the Crusader as well as another man, believed to have been buried alive about 400 years ago, is “irreparable”.
The limestone walls of the crypts and cool atmosphere helped preserve the human remains.
He previously explained how the other damaged mummy was buried alive at least 150 years ago.
The cleric said that the inside lid of his coffin was all scratched and there were wooden splinters under his nails.