St Michan’s Church in Dublin has appealed for public support ahead of its crypt’s reopening after losing tens of thousands in income following an arson attack that left the parish in “dire straits”.
Last month, Cristian Topiter (39) pleaded guilty to arson at the crypt of the church which was built in 1192, burning some mummified remains “beyond recognition”. He was sentenced to six years in prison.
The crypt has been closed to the public since the fire, with the church now hoping to reopen before St Patrick’s Day, though this depends on the speed of Dublin City Council’s granting of an exhumation order.
The church hopes to exhume “desecrated” mummified remains and move them to a separate crypt which is sealed and not open to the public.
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Those subject to an exhumation order include the remains of a crusader which has been lying within the crypt for some 800 years prior, alongside the 350- to 400-year-old remains of a man believed to have been buried alive.
Both remains formed part of the church’s “main attraction”, according to David Pierpoint, Archdeacon of Dublin and Vicar of St Michan’s Church, who said they are now “beyond redemption” and unsuitable for public viewing.
Describing the crypt as a “grotesque scene” following the arson attack, Archdeacon Pierpoint said the parish has been in “dire straits”, both financially and emotionally, having been closed for almost nine months.
“We’re losing out considerably,” he said, adding that the church does not seek to make a profit but to “break even”.
“Unfortunately, as I said, for the past year, that hasn’t happened,” he said.
Although it has received some contributions since the fire, the church has “no income” due to the crypt’s closure which is used to maintain the church building and its vaults.
“Over the year, we will have lost between €75,000 and €100,000,” he said.
“The problem is that apart from losing out financially and emotionally on the damage that was done inside the crypt, ESB prices have risen, gas prices have risen and we haven’t increased our entrance fee,” he said.
The Archdeacon hopes the crypt will be reopened soon to the public, before Easter of not by St Patrick’s Day, noting that some mummified remains were not damaged in the fire, including those of John and Henry Sheares, who were executed for their role in the 1798 rebellion.
“What the parish would need to see happen is that, even when these bodies are removed, that people don’t just dismiss the church and say: ‘Well there’s nothing to see there.’
“There’s plenty to see in the church and in the crypts and plenty of things to do,” he said, adding: “We would like people to actually come and visit.”
