THE question of future public access to the crypt of St Michan's Church, one of Dublin's most historic and ancient tourist attractions, will be decided tomorrow.
The Church of Ireland's Christ Church Cathedral group parish council meeting will discuss the safety of the church's vaults, one of which was destroyed by vandals last weekend.
The mummified remains in over 50 coffins were desecrated "and damaged in one of the church's five vaults after vandals started a fire in the underground (chambers of the 900-year-old church.
St Michan's Church, one of three churches in the north inner city Christ Church Cathedral (group parish, attracted 20,000 visitors last year and has been open to the public for over a century. Closely associated with historical figures such as Robert Emmet and Charles Stewart Parnell, the church's origins date back to 1095.
Although the vault damaged at the weekend is to be permanently sealed off, the question of what will happen with the remaining vaults remains, according to Canon David Pierpoint, rector of the parish. "There is one item on the agenda and one item only - and that is to decide whether we keep the remaining vaults open to the public", he said. "The remains were of no real financial or material value, but the historical damage done is incalculable. No money can replace or restore what has been lost."
The security of the church's crypt and the question of keeping its five undamaged vaults open will be considered by the 18 clerical and lay members of the parish's select vestry at tomorrow's meeting in All-Saints' Hall, Grangegorman, Dublin.
Since it was built in the 11th century, St Michan's has survived some of the city's most turbulent periods of history, Canon Pierpoint said. "It has seen Dublin being built, the Cromwellian (wars, various invasions, the Famine, the 1916 Uprising, the Black and Tans, the 1922 Civil War and two world wars up to the present day.
"The only time that the church has been damaged before was when the Four Courts was bombed in 1922 and the force from the blast blew out the windows of the church."
Gardai suspect a group of young people staying in the area are responsible for last weekend's desecration.
Commenting on the vandalism, the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern yesterday expressed "horror at the desecration of St Michan's ancient crypt", which is in his Dublin Central constituency.
"Respect for the dead and their place of rest has always been a strong element of our Irish humanity and Christianity and it is shocking to see a sacred place treated with barbarous vandalism and callous indignity", he said. "I will officially request Dublin Corporation and the Office of Public Works to co-ordinate efforts in restoring what can be restored and installing appropriate security systems to protect what remains.