St Michan’s Church is in Dublin, Ireland.
The church, built in 1095 for ostracized Vikings, would not necessarily look like much from the outside without research. Just a regular church in the city center, but beneath the stone floor, the air changes.
The crypts are what’s captivating.
The mystery of natural mummification
They mix an atmosphere and a lack of humidity which causes the bodies entombed there to mummify naturally, without any special process.
There are many theories as to why, but nothing really answered the question.
An ancient swamp that still emanates methane? The limestone of the walls?
Science hasn’t given a definitive answer.
The vaulted alleys
As you descend into the stone tunnels, the atmosphere becomes heavy and fascinating.
The church vaults are home to many ornate coffins, enclosed and stacked in family crypts. These disintegrated over the years, and some reveal an arm or leg here and there along the vaulted tunnels. At the very end of the stone alley, after soaking up the gloomy atmosphere, you arrive in front of a small gate that really does not look like much.
A little crypt’s garden gate.
Facing the four : from the priest to the 800 year old giant
Behind the gate are the four perfectly preserved mummies.
The first three -and more visible ones- are those of a priest (who is missing a hand and a foot, rumors state that he was a thief who later had an important place in the church), and two nuns.
At the very back of the small room are the mummified remains of an 800-year-old body, an ancient crusader according to our guide.
A giant for his time, his knees were ripped off and bent over his body in order to fit him into the coffin.
Lucky finger : a tradition lost to vandalism
This is where the guide put on his little show.
After sharing the history of the bodies, he would open the gate and invite visitors to touch the Crusader’s ring finger, as legend states it brought good luck and wealth !
He then offered to split the winnings with him if we ever won the lottery thanks to St Michan’s magic.
Once the finger gently touched, he brought us to the second part of the crypts.
A historical gem
Always full of dusty Victorian coffins, he took us to see the coffins of the Sheare brothers, who were killed by the British in the 1798 rebellion. Resting underground are the remains of Robert Emmet, an Irish rebel also killed by the British in 1803.
The whole atmosphere in St Michan’s crypts is special. Gloomy, yet fascinating at the same time. T
he lights emitted by the few spotlights make it almost look like a horror movie tunnel, the stone vaults hardly helping to provide a relief.
If you ever want to visit Dublin, I strongly recommend these crypts, if only for the historical side of it.
Photography taken online years ago, Credit to it’s rightful owner.
Caretaker’s note : As of 2017 it is no longer possible to touch the mummies.
The crypts were vandalized in 2019, and the heads of the crusader and the nun were stolen and desecrated. Found since, after a short period of restoration in the museum, they were once again in the crypts.
But then again sadly, an arson attack damaged a few of the bodies in 2024.
Visit St michan’s website prior to your visit to ensure the crypts are open.
