Crossed legs and an air of mystery. That is what awaits you in the crypts of St Michan’s Church. This is no ordinary church. St Michan’s Church stands as the oldest parish church on Dublin’s Northside.
In 1095 a Christian chapel was erected here. It stood outside Dublin’s walls in the marshland. This area became known as Oxmantown. That name came from the Ostmen. They were the Hiberno-Norse population of Ireland.
The current St Michan’s Church dates back to the late 17th century. It serves Church of Ireland parishioners today. It is part of the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes.
St Michan’s Church holds many historical treasures. One is an organ from around 1725. Legend says George Frideric Handel practiced his Messiah here. The first performance took place later. This story remains a celebrated part of Dublin’s musical history.
But St Michan’s main attraction lies beneath. Descend into the crypts. Discover the mummified remains within. The subterranean environment and limestone create unique preservation conditions. The vaults’ dry air preserves the bodies.
The allure of St Michan’s mummies has drawn visitors for centuries. Commentators have long described the peculiar air of the place. They noted its unique preservative qualities.
One 1832 account tells of an idle man seeking amusement in Dublin. A newsman suggests visiting St Michan’s vaults. The man expects dust-covered remains. Instead, he finds half-skeleton, half-mummy figures. Torn skin clings to the bones. He is shocked by this sight.
Today the experience is less terrifying. The mummies are dried and preserved as expected. Richard Robert Madden wrote about St Michan’s crypts in 1842. He compared the preservation to Egyptian mummies. He noted the perfect skin, unaltered hair and retained limb shape.
Some believe St Michan’s crypts inspired Bram Stoker. Stoker’s family had a burial plot in the graveyard. The crypts excited the imaginations of 19th-century writers. This interest connects to the gothic elements of horror and death of the Romantic era.
Many mummies reside in St Michan’s vaults. Guides often highlight three. There is a 400-year-old nun and a man missing limbs. It is believed this was punishment for thievery. The most famous is an 800-year-old man. People believe he was a crusader. He was buried with crossed legs. This attribution is still debated. All the mummies are nameless.
Touching the mummies for good luck was once allowed. This practice stopped due to deterioration. A man desecrated several mummies in 2019. He even stole the Crusader’s head. The crypts reopened with increased security months later.
St Michan’s is also the final resting place of notable figures. They include members of the Society of United Irishmen. Oliver Bond is buried in the graveyard. His tombstone reads “The noblest work of God an honest man”. Rev William Jackson also lies here. He supported the United Irishmen. He died dramatically after taking poison. Henry and John Sheares are buried in a vault. They were prominent members of the United Irishmen. They were executed for high treason.
These men and women were animated by desires and dreams. Some held revolutionary ambitions. A plaque outside the crypts shows a harp. It is the symbol of the United Irishmen. It bears the words “Equality it is new strung and shall be heard”.
St Michan’s presents a memento mori. It encourages reflection upon mortality. Consider Bram Stoker’s words: Live so that when you enter the Castle of King Death, you may not fear his face.