It is feared five mummified remains have been destroyed at one of Dublin’s oldest churches.

A man has been arrested after a fire was lit at St Michan's Church of Ireland on Tuesday afternoon.

The church is sealed off this morning with a written sign outside informing visitors there will be 'No tours until further notice'.

Dublin Fire Brigade responded to the fire which broke out at around 4:30pm and nobody was injured.

A sign on St Michan's Church in Dublin, 12-9-24. Image: Stephanie Rohan/Newstalk

It is believed five mummified remains in the crypt at the church have been destroyed. They include an 800-year-old mummy known as the ‘The Crusader.’

Gardaí have launched an investigation and a man has been arrested.

In 2019 the crypt was broken into and someone stole The Crusader's head.

The skull of The Crusader, stolen from the crypt of St Michan's Church, in 2019

Church of Ireland Archbishop Michael Jackson told Newstalk Breakfast there is 'significant devastation'.

"During the afternoon of yesterday a fire was started in the crypt in St Michan's Church in Church Street," he said.

"The result of that obviously was that the fire had to be put out and what has happened since is that we have discovered significant devastation to what was in the crypt.

"In the crypt there were what are referred to as the Mummies of St Michan's - they would have the earthly remains of people who went way back into the Middle Ages".

'Doesn't give us much hope'

Archbishop Jackson said the church is seeking outside help to see if the remains can be salvaged.

"What we have decided to do is to ask the National Museum to come today and do an assessment of that," he said.

"The combination, as you would expect, of fire and water doesn't give us as much hope as we'd like.

"Inevitably the Fire Brigade had to come and do the work that they do because the crypt is underneath what is a very old church.

"So we need to wait but early signs are not good."

Archbishop Jackson added that he is also sad for the people in the area, describing it as a "very dark day for us".

Founded in 1095, St Michan's is an Anglican church and it was the only church on the north side of River Liffey for many centuries.

Additional reporting: Jack Quann

Main image: Gardaí at the scene of St Michan's Church in Dublin, 12-9-24. Image: Stephanie Rohan/Newstalk