Medieval Mummies 'Beyond Repair' after Dublin Church Fire

Police in Ireland. Reuters file photo
Police in Ireland. Reuters file photo
TT

Medieval Mummies 'Beyond Repair' after Dublin Church Fire

Police in Ireland. Reuters file photo
Police in Ireland. Reuters file photo

Five medieval mummies preserved in the crypt of a Dublin church have likely been damaged beyond repair by a fire and water used to douse the flames, a church official said on Wednesday.
The five sets of remains, preserved for hundreds of years in the crypt of the 11th century St. Michan's Church in central Dublin, include the remains of a crusader and are a tourist attraction in the city, Reuters reported.
An intruder broke into the crypt on Tuesday afternoon and started the fire and firefighters used water to put it out, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson, told RTE radio.
"The combination of fire and water have done significant damage to the mummies... I honestly don't know exactly what the extent of that is, but my fear like that of others is that the damage is irreparable," Jackson said.
The remains are due to be examined by experts from the National Museum of Ireland to see if anything can be salvaged, he said.
The vicar of the church, David Pierpoint, told RTE he thought the mummies were "beyond repair."



Venice Carnival Opens with Biodegradable Streamers and Ode to Casanova

 Revelers participate in the celebrations of the historic Venetian Carnival in front of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP)
Revelers participate in the celebrations of the historic Venetian Carnival in front of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP)
TT

Venice Carnival Opens with Biodegradable Streamers and Ode to Casanova

 Revelers participate in the celebrations of the historic Venetian Carnival in front of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP)
Revelers participate in the celebrations of the historic Venetian Carnival in front of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP)

The opening weekend of Carnival in Venice culminated with a water procession along the Grand Canal that finished in front of the Rialto Bridge with a flourish of colorful streamers and confetti — all completely biodegradable.

Venice’s Carnival brings thousands of people to the lagoon city to watch the water procession, one of the event’s highlights, and check out people in elaborate costumes and masks who wander the narrow alleys and gather in Piazza St. Marco to be photographed.

The popular event forces authorities to designate some alleyways as one-way, to keep pedestrians moving.

This year’s Carnival celebrations, which run through March 4, are dedicated to the famed philanderer Giacomo Casanova, who was born in Venice 300 years ago.