St. Michan's Church underground

Intro music by Jory Nash www.jorynash.com St. Michan's Church /ˈmaɪˌkən/ is a Church of Ireland church located in Church Street, Dublin, Ireland. The first Christian chapel on this site dated from 1095, and operated as a Catholic church until the Reformation. The current church dates from 1686, and has served Church of Ireland parishioners in Dublin for more than 300 years. The church is known for its vaults, which contain a number of 'mummified' remains. Built on the site of an early Norse chapel from 1095, the current structure dates largely from a reconstruction undertaken under William Robinson in 1686,[4] but is still the only parish church on the north side of the Liffey surviving from a Viking foundation. While the exterior of the church may be unimpressive, the interior boasts some fine woodwork, and an organ (dated 1724) on which Handel is said to have composed his Messiah. Vaults/Interments The vaults of St. Michan's uniquely contain many mummified remains.The walls in the vaults contain limestone, which has kept the air dry, creating ideal conditions for preservation.Among the preserved remains are the 400-year-old body of a nun, a six-and-a-half foot man popularly believed to have been a crusader, a body with its feet and right hand severed, and the Sheares brothers—Henry and John—who took part in the 1798 rebellion. The various holders of the title Earl of Leitrim were also interred here. Damage A number of crypts in the St. Michan's vaults were damaged by vandals in 1996 and again in early 2019.Following the 2019 incident, the church stated that several mummified remains were desecrated by vandals, including the remains of a 400-year-old nun, and the decapitation of the 800-year-old 'crusader'. Access The church vaults are open to tours on Saturdays, and seasonally on some weekdays, receiving approximately 27,000 visitors during 2018. Following the vandalism event in early 2019, these tours were temporarily cancelled. The tour is well worth a visit not only to hear and see history but to take a very up close view of some amazing caskets and mummy's #mummy #Ireland #dublin #crypt