800-year-old mummy decapitated by vandals at St. Michan’s Church, Dublin

The church has been forced to cancel tours for the foreseeable future.

A centuries-old mummy at Dublin's landmark St. Michan's church has been robbed of its head by vandals. The famous Church of Ireland site of worship is located on Dublin's Halston St and is home to mummies, and the remains of the Sheare Brothers, executed by the British for their part in the 1798 rising. Some also speculate that this is the final resting place of Robert Emmet. The mummy, which belonged to a soldier from the Crusades, was decapitated, and his head has not yet been found. Speaking to Phillip Boucher-Hayes on RTÉ today, Archdeacon Pierpont confirmed that several other artefacts were desecrated in the incident — including the remains of a 400-year-old nun. St. Michan's have been forced to cancel tours of their crypt for the foreseeable future due to the incident. The church is usually a popular tourist attraction that operates regular tours. The church is believed to have stood since 1095. According to Atlas Obscura: "There are a number of theories as to why the corpses in the basement have been preserved over time. One is that the basement contains limestone, making the basement particularly dry and therefore good for mummification." Gardaí are now investigating CCTV footage pertaining to the incident.