A man has been arrested after a fire was lit in the crypt at St Michan's Church of Ireland in Dublin, destroying five mummies including an 800-year-old mummy known as 'The Crusader'.
The incident occurred shortly after 4pm.
The alarm was raised after a tour guide detected smoke in the vault of the building on Church Street.
The blaze was extinguished by Dublin Fire Brigade before it took hold and the area was made safe.
Gardaí say no injuries have been reported.
However, five mummified remains, which were contained in the crypt, are believed to have been "destroyed" by the water that was required put the fire out.
They include an 800-year-old mummy known as 'The Crusader' and four others dating back 400 years.
It is estimated there is around 30cm of water in the crypt.
Dr Michael Jackson and Archdeacon of Dublin & Vicar of St Michan's Church David Pierpoint speak to gardaí
The scene has been sealed off to facilitate a forensic examination by a team from the Garda Technical Bureau.
A man was arrested in connection with the incident for an alleged offence under the Criminal Damage Act and is being questioned at a garda station in the Dublin area.
Gardaí, who are appealing to any witnesses or to anyone with any information about the incident to contact them, say their investigations are ongoing.
Archdeacon of Dublin and Vicar of St Michan's Church David Pierpoint described the incident as "disastrous for Dublin, for history and for the parish".
"The parish depends on income from our tourists and if we've no crypts to show people, then we have very little money coming in," he said.
"We're not sure now what's going to happen."
In February 2019, 'The Crusader' was decapitated during a break-in at the crypt.
A man was later jailed for five counts of criminal damage, including two of damaging a dead body.
Archdeacon Pierpoint said the mummified bodies have been "destroyed" and "damaged beyond repair," and said he will ask the National Museum to carry out an inspection of the crypt and the mummies.
He said he is hoping the museum "might be able to take the mummified bodies away, and by doing that, then they may be able to salvage something."
"But we're really pretty certain that they've been destroyed."
Archdeacon Pierpoint said the fire itself had not caused that much damage.
"Most of the damage was done by water, but I'm not blaming the fire brigade at all. That is their duty to put out a fire because if the fire had got hold, the whole church would be gone.
"So, I'm grateful for their and quick and active support."
The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin said he is "horrified" and "appalled" by the attempt to set the crypt alight.
Dr Michael Jackson said the mummified bodies are of people who lived and who died, so he said "there is something within this which is a desecration and a sacrilege as well."
He said St Michan's and its crypt are a "part of the history of Dublin."
Dr Jackson said he believes "the irreversible loss is something that will sadden generations, not only people of Dublin and school groups, but international visitors who make a point of coming to St Michan’s when they come to Dublin because they experience something unique.
"It's partly got to do with the climate, it’s partly got to do with the conservation, but the fact that people who were a part of the Crusades were buried here and now it seems that that option will not be open for them."
Dr Jackson added: "The devastating impact on the opportunity to engage with something that is of history and a fascination to people has now been taken away from us."
