Gardai have launched an investigation after an 800-year-old 'Crusader' from a Dublin crypt was decapitated by vandals.
David Pierpoint, Archdeacon of St Michan's Church, said the Crusader's head has been "severed from his body and taken away".
The damage was discovered by a tour guide who was preparing to open the church for visitors.
Speaking to RTE, Archdeacon Pierpoint said it was a "sad day for the church and a sad day for humanity" that such an act could be carried out.
The cleric said a solid steel internal gate had been removed and the immediate concern was securing the vaults.
The crypt was previously vandalised in 1996.
Tours of the site are being cancelled for the foreseeable future.
In a statement, the Church of Ireland said the crypt has been badly damaged and several of the mummies, including the 400-year-old remains of a nun, have been desecrated.
The statement said the Crusader’s body had been turned over and his head has been removed.
It added that there are concerns that the remains will disintegrate in the open air as the conditions in the crypt keep them preserved.
Gardai have removed CCTV footage from the scene.
