Dublin: Crypt unable to open due to damaged mummified bodies

3 days agoKevin SharkeyBBC News NI Dublin reporterBBCAn Anglican church in Dublin has been unable to reopen a historic crypt to the public since the remains of mummified bodies were damaged in an arson attack.One of the damaged bodies in St Michan's Church of Ireland is that of a man, known as the Crusader, who died about 800 years ago.A 39-year-old man, Cristian Topiter, was jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to the 2024 arson attack, which the church described as "an act of desecration and sacrilege". St Michan's crypt usually attracts thousands of visitors and tourists every year but, nine months after the attack, it remains out of bounds.The main entrance gates to the church's grounds and a steel gate leading to the crypt are locked. 'Irreparable'The church facilitated a visit to the site by BBC News NI, where the Venerable Archdeacon David Pierpoint outlined the responsibility he, and the wider church community, feel towards those interred in the crypt. "As a parish, as...