Dublin church appeals for return of medieval crusader’s head
Police hunt for vandals who desecrated remains in historic church crypt
A Dublin church is appealing for leads to find a head belonging to a medieval crusader, after vandals looted its crypt.
The thieves are thought to have targeted the vaults beneath St Michan’s, a 17th-century Anglican church in the Irish capital, over the weekend.
“The discovery was made as a tour guide was preparing to open the church for visitors on Monday afternoon,” the BBC reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A “large amount of damage was caused to the vault”, the Irish Independent reports, and several sets of preserved remains had been disturbed by the intruders.
The vandals “decapitated” a 12th-century mummy known as “The Crusader” in accordance with the traditional history that he was part of the Christian army who battled Muslim forces for control of the holy land in the medieval era.
The Crusader’s head is now missing from the vault, along with another skull laid to rest in the chamber, which houses the remains of many prominent Dublin families of the 16th and 17th century.
“The head of a mummified nun, who died 300 years ago, had also been turned 180 degrees to face the wrong direction while a third mummy had been turned on its side,” the Irish Times reports.
The Archdeacon of Dublin, David Pierpoint, told the Irish Independent that the upended crypt made for a “pretty gruesome scene”.
“We’re not quite sure what the motive behind all of this is. Whether its vandalism or, we don’t know,” he added. “At the moment we’re just waiting for the gardaí [police] to do their job.”
Thousands of people visit the church every year to see its historic crypt, but church officials say that the tours of the site will be suspended for the “foreseeable future”.
The Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson, said he was “shocked” that someone would desecrate the ancient burial place, and appealed for the return of the missing head.
“Not only have these individuals desecrated the sacred crypt but they have destroyed these historic mummies which have been preserved in St Michan’s for hundreds of years,” he said.
“I would appeal to those responsible to examine their consciences and return the head of The Crusader to its rightful place.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The AI 'concierge' that will decide who you date
In The Spotlight If the bots click, real life may follow, or that's the idea says Bumble. Is this a handy hack – or are we flirting with dystopia?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 11 - 17 May
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Michelangelo – the last decades review: an 'absorbing' exploration of art
The Week Recommends New exhibition focuses on works from the final 30 years of the artist's long career
By The Week UK Published
-
Goodbye Lenin? How Russian revolutionary haunts Vladimir Putin 100 years on
The Explainer Current president has a complicated and contradictory relationship with his Soviet predecessor
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
The Battle of Stalingrad 80 years on
In Depth Battle that turned the tide of Second World War remains a powerful symbol of patriotism in Russia
By The Week Staff Published
-
Medieval warhorses ‘no bigger than modern ponies’
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Spain criminalises support for Franco in bid to heal divisions
In Depth New legislation includes fines of up to €150,000 for ‘glorifying’ the dictator and Spanish Civil War
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Woman misses out on £18m jackpot after washing ticket
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
Napoleon’s contested legacy
Speed Read Two hundred years after the death of Napoleon Bonaparte, a bitter debate is still raging in France over his place in its history
By The Week Staff Published
-
Briefing: The Paris Commune
In Depth 150 years ago, a socialist-inspired uprising briefly transformed the French capital, before it was ruthlessly crushed
By The Week Staff Published
-
Hitler’s toilet seat up for auction
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published