St Manchan's shrine security may mean move from Offaly church

A controversy is developing over the future security of St Manchan's Shrine, the latest sacred artefact to be stolen from a church in County Offaly last week but dumped by its thieves and recovered by Gardaí.

The shrine is currently being kept for safekeeping by Gardaí while investigations into the theft continue.  

Two men were arrested and released without charge and a file is being prepared on the matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions, so it will be some time before the case is closed.

Parish priest of Boher Church, Fr James McKiernan, said he wants the shrine, believed to contain the bones of St Manchan, returned to Boher church in due course.  

But the Head of Collections at the National Museum of Ireland, Raghnall O'Floinn, said a security audit is now necessary and a permanent home for the shrine, which dates from 1120, must be decided with its security in mind because of its significance as a national treasure.

Fr McKiernan said the local community was devastated on hearing news of the robbery and greatly relieved on hearing of its recovery.

"It's very precious and we intend to hold on to it here in Boher Church," he said, explaining that the parishioners are so strongly attached to the artefact that for decades, local people had kept it in their houses following the destruction of the original church that had housed them in a fire in 1860. People couldn't believe it when they heard it was stolen and there was immense joy when it was found intact."  

And he put the recovery of the artefact down to St Manchan himself, saying that while the Gardaí had told them to pray to St Anthony, they prayed to St Manchan instead.

The community celebrates St Manchan's feast day on January 24 and because it contains some of his bones, it is of huge importance to the parish.  

Fr McKiernan said St Manchan's Church has housed the items for over twenty years and attracted visitors to the area.

"It's visited quite a bit on a regular basis and every day of the week there are people here.”

The shrine was recovered thanks to the work of the Gardaí and the observations of local people who, “are absolutely thrilled and overjoyed to have the shrine back.  It's very precious and we intend to hold on to it here in Boher church," he stated.

He said the thieves had broken the bulletproof glass case surrounding the shrine and, “pounced on the shrine.”

Although there were people passing on the road outside, the fact that the shrine was under CCTV surveillance, and protected by an alarm that was activated, the thieves ran across the road with the shrine and made off in their car.

He admitted that security would have to be upgraded to protect the shrine from sophisticated criminals.  

However Mr O'Floinn said a full security audit is now needed as the theft, "highlighted a difficulty with security."

The Museum wants to, “have a discussion with Bishop Colm O'Reilly of Ardagh and Clonmacnois and the community regarding the shrine and its display and security.  I appreciate it's important for the people and because it has been in the locality for so long it'd be a terrible pity to have to remove it," he said.

But the most important issue was its safety and therefore everything was up for discussion, Mr O Floinn added.  He accepts that the issue is of, “great sensitivity locally,” but said the National Museum of Ireland had it on display in the 1990s, “and it was safe there.”

“We will have discussions with the Gardaí and the local community but with the number of thefts nothing is safe on public displays and there appears to be a lack of respect for such items. It's survived for 1,000 years and we want to make sure it survives for 1,000 years more and longer."

Bishop of O'Reilly said advice on the safety of the shrine has to be taken and said he looked forward to discussions about security and where it would be safest.  

"It'd be unthinkable we'd leave it in a situation that the same could happen again," he said. 

St Manchan’s Shrine is made of yew wood and gilt bronze and is 0.75m long and 0.6m high.  

Regarded as a priceless masterpiece of Irish Christian art, it was made in Clonmacnois in the 12th century to house the bones of St Manchan, a 7th Century saint who founded a monastery in Lemanaghan, near Boher.