Mummified human remains and a sarcophagus are among items to be returned to Egypt from a collection at University College Cork.
UCC has announced a number of objects in its Heritage Collection will be repatriated to the Egyptian state.
The items which date between 100AD and 975BCE also include a set of four Canopic jars, and items of cartonnage or coverings.
The sarcophagus is wooden, probably sycamore, applied with plaster and decorated with pigment.
Analysis of the coffin dates it at approximately 625 to 600 BCE and an inscription indicates that it belonged to a man named Hor.
Painted decorations on the lid and sides depicts the procession of the gods to the table of offerings where the deceased, Hor, is presented by Thoth, Egyptian God of writing, wisdom and magic.
Other illustrations depict gods and goddesses, while inscriptions pray that Hor will have eternal life with the gods, happiness, and plenty of food and drink.
The coffin was excavated by Ernesto Schiaparelli sometime between 1903 and 1904, from tombs in the Valley of the Queens.
It is possible, though unconfirmed, that it was subsequently sold at the Salle de Vente in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Upon donation by the "African Missioners" in 1928, the sarcophagus and mummified remains were held in UCC.
The sarcophagus went on public display in 1993 at the Cork Public Museum's "From the Nile to the Lee" exhibition.
The mummified human remains are that of an adult male, estimated to be between 45 and 50 years old and measures 1.69m.
The remains are not that of Hor, to whom the sarcophagus belonged.
Testing done on the wrapping of the remains date it at around 305BCE to 500AD, meaning the sarcophagus pre-dates the human remains by several centuries.
The remains are currently in appropriate conditions managed by conservation specialists, according to UCC.
The four canopic jars are believed to be the oldest of all the items being returned to the Egyptian State, with an estimated date of between 945-700BCE.
They are a set belonging to one person, Pa-wer, son of Pa-aa-mert (father) and Minen (mother).
The set of cartonnage pieces in UCC's collection are made of linen, plaster, and paint and date earlier than 100 AD.
Cartonnage were placed on mummified remains at the time of burial.
The set in UCC comprises of a chest covering, a lower body covering, a foot case and a head covering.
It is not clear if these pieces are from the same original set.
The jars were purchased for £9 from J.E. and E.K. Preston, Antiquaries and Dealers in Works of Art in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England sometime between 1911 and 1912.
It is not known for certain where Preston may have bought the jars.
There is no information detailing the provenance of the cartonnage.
The transfer of items to Egypt involves collaboration with the Egyptian Embassy, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Museum of Ireland and is expected to happen in 2023.
UCC President Professor John O'Halloran said the university takes the care of heritage assets "seriously" and "is pleased to be in a position to present these objects to the Egyptian state".
Egyptian Ambassador to Ireland Mohamed Sarwat Selim thanked all stakeholders for their cooperation "in seeking the return of the Egyptian mummy and the set of the canopic jars to our homeland".
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said he was "delighted" the department was able to facilitate the project.
The objects’ journey home to Egypt is to be documented in 'Kinship’ a creative project led by artist Dr Dorothy Cross, and creative producer Mary Hickson.
"The essence of Kinship is the return of a mummified body of an Egyptian man from Ireland to Cairo, mirroring the tragic displacement and migration of thousands of people from their homelands today - linking one man through time. Kinship will memorialise his journey through film, writing and visual art," Dr Cross said.
