St. Michan’s Church, Dublin

St. Michan's Church, Dublin tickets: which one to buy

Saint Michan's Church stands on Church Street on the north side of the River Liffey in Dublin, near the Four Courts and the Jameson Distillery in Smithfield, and it is famous for its vaults, where mummified bodies lie in open coffins. Visits to the vaults are by guided tour only, with a small fee, and tours run at set times on weekdays and some Saturdays. The tours are short but memorable, and they are popular, so it is worth arriving early.

Walking tours of Dublin's north side and ghost tours sometimes include the church. The Jameson Distillery Bow Street, a few minutes' walk away, is the obvious addition. The church belongs to the Church of Ireland and is still used for services. The vaults are reached by steep steps and are not accessible for everyone. Guided tours are paid in cash at the church, and the guides tell the stories with a good deal of humour.

Visiting St. Michan's Church, Dublin: what to see

A church was founded here in 1095 by the Viking community of Dublin and dedicated to Saint Michan, a Danish saint; the present church dates largely from 1686, with a medieval tower. The vaults beneath the church hold coffins of prominent Dublin families, and the bodies have been naturally mummified because of the dry atmosphere, the constant temperature and the limestone walls. Visitors on the tour see several open coffins, including one known as the Crusader, the body of a very tall man whose legs were broken to fit the coffin; touching his hand was once said to bring luck. The vaults also contain the death masks of the Sheares brothers, executed after the 1798 rebellion.

Inside the church, the organ is said to have been played by Handel when he visited Dublin for the first performance of Messiah in 1742, and there is a carved penitent's stool. The church's interior is simple, with galleries, wooden pews and memorial tablets. The organ case is carved with musical instruments. The churchyard holds the graves of notable figures, possibly including Robert Emmet, the Irish patriot executed in 1803, whose burial place is uncertain. The vaults include a nun's body, a body with hands and feet cut off, and the remains of the Earl of Leitrim. The tower dates from the medieval period and holds bells. The Stool of Repentance was used by sinners who had to confess in front of the congregation.

St. Michan's Church, Dublin opening hours and the best time to go

Tours run on weekdays and some Saturdays, with shorter hours in winter; the church is closed on Sundays for visiting. Dublin is busy in summer and around Saint Patrick's Day, and tours can fill up then. The vaults are cold and dim. Halloween brings special interest in the mummies. Dublin's weather is mild but often rainy, so the church makes a good indoor stop. Allow about half an hour for the tour, and walk to the Four Courts and the Jameson Distillery nearby, or cross the Liffey to Christ Church Cathedral. The Four Courts, Ireland's main courts building, with its green dome, is a short walk along the Liffey quays.