#stmichans

Standing in the centre of the ancient part of Dublin on the North Liffey Quays known now as Oxmanstown , St Michans is almost as old as Dublin itself. Situated in an area that was home to an ancient oak  forest and swamps Oxmanstown was the location of the last colony of Norsemen in Dublin , getting its name from Austmanna-tún meaning homestead of the Eastmen.For almost 1000 years it was the only church north of the Liffey, and has gone from being a catholic church to serving the protestant faith for the last 300 hundred years. Restored to its current splendour in 1998, St. Michan’s is now a Protestant church of the Anglican Communion. The site is so old that experts are unsure of who Michan actually was , but was likely a Danish bishop or some local strongman turned martyr. He does appear in the 13th century "Martyrology " of nearby Christ Church cathedral. The first Christian church on the site was constructed in 1095 however that wooden structure has been completely lost to the mists of time.

A mysterious society called The Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Sythe was set up in 1476 and held sway over St Michans and the nearby territories on and off for centuries. As the guild grew in strength it began to buy up land throughout Oxmantown and became increasingly powerful in Dublin however after decades of persecution by the Lord Justices fearful of its power the lands, buildings and assets of the Guild were handed over to St Michans Parish in 1639.This would not be the end of the fight though as on 22 October 1641, one day after the Catholic rebellion in Ulster, the guild re-possessed the college and refused to pay rents to the parish.

Whilst looking quite understated sitting on the edge of its ancient bulging graveyard the church has some impressive interiors. Inside is the magnificent John Baptiste Cuvillie organ was built between 1723 - 1725 . famous ornate organ was bought for the sum of four hundred and sixty seven pounds, seven shillings and ten pence with money raised by parishioners. One of its claims to fame was that it was used by Handel to practice for his "Messiah" which had its debut performance in Dublin. A beautiful wooden carving of seventeen musical instruments sits in front of the gallery area. It's called the "Organ Trophy" and it was installed in 1724 by either renowned artists Henry or John Hougton.A sign of how St Michans was not only a place of worship but a centre for community values was records showing that the clergy erected on the site ‘a pair of stocks be provided’ to put ‘idle boys and others who presume to play in the church yard, break the windows or make any noise or disturbance in the church or church yard during divine service’ in January 1724. With the modern day Juvenile court only a few hundred yards away I wonder whether that type of punishment today would be as effective as it was in the 18th century. Also extensive campaigns against prostitution and general drunkenness  among the parishioners and non-faithful members of the local area were much noted during the 18th and early 19th century.

Restoration was already an issue but in 1767 as the ceiling began to fall. A benefactor called Hugh Kelly was paid the princely sum of "twelve pence per yard for stuccowork"  to reinforce the plaster ceiling. But it was not until the 1820s that the real restoration of this ancient place of worship began ,a report on the damage estimated it would cost "three thousand, five hundred pounds for repairs" a huge sum then. St Michans was closed for three years  to complete the preservation and upgrade but the parish was already in an irreversible decline. Politics in Ireland and the population changes in the city meant that the congregation  numbers were falling even as the focus of power shifted to suburbs and the Southside. As time wore on the parish school closed and in the 1922  shelling of the Four Courts some ordnance overshot and damaged the church roof and destroyed irreplaceable stained glass which have formerly came from St John the Evangelist in Fishamble Street in 1878.Behind the church is the  beautiful tumbledown graveyard with its leaning headstones and peekaboo cracked mausoleums is home to many well-known Dubliners too. The likes of Oliver Bond, another 1798 Rising rebel and men of science like mathematician William Rowan Hamilton. There is speculation that the still mysteriously missing remains of Rebellion hero and leader Robert Emmet may be concealed in a nameless grave here. It is generally thought that the remains of, executed during the 1803 Rising, are also interred at St. Michan's.

For all the beauty and history of the above ground church perhaps its most famous features and residents abide below in the infamous vaults of St Michans. Two of the six crypts are open to brave travellers. Descending down the steep mossy steps in to the cool darkness is an unforgettable experience. The smell and the beckoning dark dusty arches crammed with coffins gives you a feeling you are not among some silent congregation. The fact that so many of these bodies both seen and unseen are likely in a disturbingly well preserved state goes a long way to reinforcing the ghost stories about this place and its whispering voices. The corridors are lined with limestone and mortar , dark galleries spring off either side filled with coffins , some enclosed behind iron bars like some subterranean prison for the dead. Many of the coffins are in a beautiful state of repair still , bearing ornate metal , wood and leather work. Others have collapsed under the weight of their neighbours stacked above them, with the odd recognisable arm or leg bone lopping out like a drunken sleeper. The occasional skull too is visible dreaming eyeless in the dark ,wearily  pretending not to notice the tourists.

It was a huge status symbol to be buries in the crypts with only the wealthiest and most influential families being able to take their place in an eternal family reunion in its dark arches. Among the rich and well-connected like the Earls of Leitrim in their baroque coffins there were also heroes of the tragic 1798 rebellion. The Shears brothers young lawyers Henry and John were members of the secret Society of United Irishmen. Their patriotism was inspired by time spent in Paris during the French revolution and as fate would have it they even met a young Daniel O Connell on their boat back home from France, though the future Liberator Freemason had found the violence of the French revolution despicable and his experiences with it caused his nonviolence stance when he rose to power in Ireland. The young brothers set about taking part in Emmets uprising when they got back home but they were betrayed by a spy in their ranks. Sadly like so many of the Society of United Irishmen they were executed though their fate was even more bloody. They were hung drawn and quartered, martyred by the British and now rest side by side in their unearthed coffins in perpetuity with their grisly  execution warrant preserved at their feet.

What makes St Michans crypt so fascinating is that unique environmental features of the surrounding foundations caused a bizarre micro-climate which preserved the bodies , mummifying them. Methane gas emanates from below the crypt , a result of the former oak forest and swampland. The limestone walls absorbs humidity dries out the corpses. Also vaults lie comparatively low above sea level and is also in close proximity to the bed of the river Liffey. The desiccated flesh of the mummies is like taut dusty parchment , stretched drum tight over jutting skeletons. Finger and toe nails , hair and facial features are preserved recognisable placing the ancient dead in a weird uncomfortable netherworld between Halloween props and real people. TO come face to face with these fellow citizens is a fantastic experience. Once you get over the gory horror movie factor you realise they have so much to teach us. You feel like you are visiting your ancestors , some ancient Dubliners who have one foot in the dead history  and the other still in modern times.  Law forbids the opening of any of the coffins, out of respect and the fact that technically some living families still have the right to plant their dead in these vaults. It is only by happy accident that some of the coffins split open and collapsed to reveal the most famous residents of the crypt ranging approximately from 400 to 800 years old ,nicknamed The Crusader , The Thief , The Unknown Lady and The Nun.

The Crusader was so called due to the way his legs were broken and cross in the coffin Templar Style. An impressive specimen for a man back then he would've stood at a six foot six inches.It was  believed he fought in the infamous campaigns against Islam in the holy land only to come home to Ireland to die of his wounds and be laid in hallowed ground befitting of a soldier of the holy crusade. Its estimated he took part in the 4th Crusade, a terrifying sight swimming a sword during the sacking of Constantinople about 800 years ago.However it's as likely it might have been just due to his stature as his size was so formidable at that time that it may have been necessary to break his legs just to fit in the coffin.His hands are lifted up as if he is trying to get your attention (or perhaps beckon you to take his place) and it has long been a tradition to "shake hands" with the crusader for good luck. I have personally done this myself and it's actually a very moving experience to connect with him , not nearly as grisly as you might think. He stopped being a mummy and became a real human being , though I did remember to wash my hands after I left the tomb!

The Thief is another mysterious character. His feet have been cut off and his right hand is severed which may have been punishment for stealing. However more recent forensic anthropological study implies we might t have been a bit too quick to label the Thief. It's unlikely that a criminal would have been laid to rest in such hallowed ground, and he may well have been a monk who was injured in the pursuit of his hard tasks or deformed from birth. Of the two ladies, there is even less evidence. The Unknown Lady ,as one would imagine has taken her secrets to the grave.  However she , like her fellow resident The Nun have extremely well preserved hands and feet despite her estimated age of 400 years. The nun incidentally is alleged to have died at an extremely old age and doesn’t appear to have ever given birth. Both of these ladies likely had some connection to religious orders associated with the church.