St. Michan's Church and Crypt is best known for the mummies in its underground crypt. The structure is simple and drab, with a large 15th century battlement tower being the one impressive feature.
As your eyes grow accustomed to the dark, you will notice in some of the chambers, coffins are stacked in untidy piles as generations of the same family lie on top of one another.
From the weight of the coffins being stacked on top of each other, the weight has resulted in the coffins collapsing into each other. Arms, legs or even heads have protruded from their final resting places. Despite the fact some of these people died 500 years ago, they have not crumbled into dust, but preserved, like mummies, their flesh the texture of tanned leather.
Their joints are supple and actually move. The preservation is thought to be the result of the air being chemically impregnated or that the limestone in the basement, or the presence of methane gas from the swampy soil below may have been created naturally.
The oldest mummy, nicknamed "The Crusader" is a Norman man believed to have lived during the 13th century. His arm pokes out of the casket and it has become tradition to "shake hands with the Crusader". Most people just touch his hand lightly.
Tales of ghostly happenings pale in comparison to the reality of the crypt. People have heard strange voices, whispering around them and some have felt ice cold fingers run down their necks as they examine the residents of the crypt.
Behind the church are a bunch of cellar doors the opens down to a different crypt.
Also behind the church is the graveyard with beautiful old headstones.
This is just one of the many interesting places we visit on our Haunted Ireland Tour, October 2014. This is an exclusive tour for those interested in staying in a haunted castle, visit haunted castles, abbeys and churchyards, and participate in a Haunted Dublin Walking Tour.
To find out more about the Haunted Ireland Tour, visit our website at: Trinity Gold Club Travel
As your eyes grow accustomed to the dark, you will notice in some of the chambers, coffins are stacked in untidy piles as generations of the same family lie on top of one another.From the weight of the coffins being stacked on top of each other, the weight has resulted in the coffins collapsing into each other. Arms, legs or even heads have protruded from their final resting places. Despite the fact some of these people died 500 years ago, they have not crumbled into dust, but preserved, like mummies, their flesh the texture of tanned leather.
The oldest mummy, nicknamed "The Crusader" is a Norman man believed to have lived during the 13th century. His arm pokes out of the casket and it has become tradition to "shake hands with the Crusader". Most people just touch his hand lightly.
Behind the church are a bunch of cellar doors the opens down to a different crypt.
Also behind the church is the graveyard with beautiful old headstones.
This is just one of the many interesting places we visit on our Haunted Ireland Tour, October 2014. This is an exclusive tour for those interested in staying in a haunted castle, visit haunted castles, abbeys and churchyards, and participate in a Haunted Dublin Walking Tour.
To find out more about the Haunted Ireland Tour, visit our website at: Trinity Gold Club Travel
No comments:
Post a Comment