The remains of four humans are to be reinterred in Mullingar this Sunday - more than 500 years after they were first buried in the town.
Some of the four may have taken part in an epic and dangerous medieval pilgrimage from Mullingar to the renowned Spanish pilgrimage site, Santiago de Campostella.
The Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, is to reinter the four after a ceremony in Mullingar Cathedral.
The story first came to light in 1996 when work on a building site in the centre of Mullingar uncovered human bones. The work took place on the site of the current Austin Friar Hotel and Buckley's Super-Valu. The bones were removed to the National Museum, where it was revealed they were the remains of local people and monks who lived in the Augustinian priory on the site. This priory existed from 1227 to 1539, before being dissolved by King Henry VIII.
Yesterday, four of the remains were returned to Mullingar by the National Museum. They include a child aged between 12 and 16, two adolescents aged between 16 and 20, and one adult. They will be buried in a prominent location in the cathedral grounds.
The 1996 discovery also revealed four skeletons wearing the scallop shell, which was a cloak of honour given only to those who had completed the pilgrimage to Santiago de Campostella. These four skeletons are not among the four returned to Mullingar yesterday.
According to Father Sean Henry, administrator of Mullingar, the four remains which were returned may still have undertaken the famous pilgrimage. The remains of the four are being kept in a casket in Mullingar Cathedral until Sunday's ceremony, but the lid of the casket will be closed. A large number of remains are also being retained by the National Museum for further examination.
Remains with the scallop shell on it can be viewed in the pilgrimage section of the National Museum, Kildare Street, Dublin.
Local historian Ruth Illingworth said the scallop shell was a pre-Christian symbol. "Anyone who made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Campostella was given one of these to wear. It was highly significant and prized. They wore it for the rest of their lives and they were buried in them.
"The route to Santiago de Campostella started with a trip to Dublin, where they embarked on a boat in St James' Gate from where they probably went to south-west France. From there, they journeyed across the Pyrenees, and along the pilgrimage road to Santiago de Campostella.
"Santiago de Campostella was one of the three most important pilgrimage sites in medieval Europe, along with Rome and Jerusalem. Getting there was a very dangerous journey through the notorious Bay of Biscay. There was also the danger that north African pirates would capture you."
The reinterment will take place after 12.30 p.m. Mass in Mullingar Cathedral on Sunday. Ruth Illingworth will deliver a lecture on the history of the Augustinian foundation, and the significance of the 1996 discovery, on Monday at 8 p.m. in Mullingar Community Centre. A plaque recording the links with Santiago de Campostella will also be erected in the cathedral grounds.
"This will serve to show visitors and tourists that religious pilgrimage has always been part of our native tradition, undertaken with courage and hope," said the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, when he announced the return of the remains.