In 2019, a 36-year-old man named Brian Bridgeman stole the mummified head of the Crusader and the skull of a 400-year-old mummified nun. Authorities got the stolen heads back after Bridgeman returned them.
He left the skulls in a bag on church property, and it was accompanied by a note that read, “Sorry RIP.”
Bridgeman was arrested for the theft and was given a 28-month jail sentence. He later admitted that he had been intoxicated when he broke into the church.
The latest case of vandalism is a major historic and financial loss for the church. Every year, the mummies attract many tourists, who contribute funds to the church during their visits. Without them, the church will suffer.
“We do not yet know what the future is for the mummies as the Archdeacon of Dublin, and I fear that they have been destroyed,” Archbishop Michael Jackson said.
“These mummies are a national treasure, and I am shocked at the sacrilege of the destruction of the remains of people who once lived.”
