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After sustained campaign, Irish giant's bones may finally be released from London museum

Charles Byrne wanted to be buried at sea so scientists wouldn’t get their hands on his corpse. His skeleton has been on public display for decades.

A LONDON MUSEUM is considering the release of the remains of an 18th Century Irish Giant following sustained pressure from campaigners.

The skeleton of Charles Byrne, who hailed from Littlebridge in County Derry, has long been one of the centrepiece exhibits at the Hunterian Museum.

The museum, which is run by the Royal College of Surgeons, houses the collection of, the famous Scottish surgeon and anatomist, John Hunter.

During his lifetime Byrne toured the UK as a spectacle and newspaper reports from the time of his death indicate that he wished to be buried at sea out of fear that gravediggers would exhume his corpse and sell it to scientists.

ggiant-1 BBC / Screengrab BBC / Screengrab / Screengrab

When he did die, aged only 22, Byrne’s remains came into Hunter’s possession through a crooked undertaker and his skeleton has been on public display for much of the time since.

In recent years a campaign calling for the remains to be released and – true to Byrne’s wishes – to be buried at sea has built up considerable traction.

One of the campaign groups, Free Charles Byrne, created this short animation about the Derry man’s interesting life and death.

freecharlesbyrne / YouTube

Various different campaigners have made appeals to the Hunterian but the museum has refused to change its stance on the matter and has routinely cited scientific reasons as the justification for keeping Byrne’s remains on display.

However the publication of an article in The Conversation, by law lecturer Dr Thomas Muinzer, caused the case to crop up again this week, and the museum has finally offered an altered position on the issue.

‘Groundbreaking statement’

In a development that has been warmly welcomed by campaigners, the Royal College of Surgeons has said that it is considering releasing Byrne’s remains.

In a statement a spokesperson for the Royal College of Surgeons said:

The Hunterian Museum will be closed until 2021 and Charles Byrne’s skeleton is not currently on display. The Board of Trustees of the Hunterian Collection will be discussing the matter during the period of closure of the Museum.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie Muinzer, who has campaigned for Byrne’s remains to be released since 2011, described the statement as a very positive development and added that it would be very hard for the museum to reopen with the skeleton on display.

“The Hunterian has previously not responded to any queries so their statement is a hugely positive step,” he said to TheJournal.ie.

This is a huge move on their part because their traditional approach has been to bury their heads in the sand. It’s a very unusual and groundbreaking statement.Given the negative coverage and given the growing strength of the campaign I feel it would be very difficult for them to reopen the display.

Who was Charles Byrne?

The Derry man, who was born in 1761, suffered from acromegalic gigantism which caused him to grow to nearly 8 feet tall.

After undergoing a rapid growth spurt during his teens he travelled to Britain where he achieved a degree of celebrity by exhibiting himself as a human curiosity.

Crowds of people flocked to see the Irish giant and he attracted regular attention from newspapers and managed to build up considerable savings.

giant-2 BBC / Screengrab BBC / Screengrab / Screengrab

However Byrne’s life took a turn for the worse when his entire fortune was stolen. He fell into a deep depression and his drinking habit worsened. He apparently contracted TB and died in 1783, aged only 22.

According to an 1841 edition of the The American Journal of the Medical Sciences Byrne’s death was recorded in the Annual Register Chronicle in June 1783 with the following note:

Died in Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, aged only 22, Mr. Charles Byrne, the famous Irish giant, whose death is said to have been precipitated by excessive drinking, to which he was always addicted, but more particularly, since his late loss of all his property, which he had simply invested in a single bank-note of 700 pounds (sterling).

“Mr B., in August 1780 measured 8 feet; that in 1782, he had gained two inches, and, after he was dead, he measured 8 feet 4 inches,” it added.

Stolen corpse

As Byrne’s body was being transported to the coast to be buried at sea an undertaker swapped his remains for dead weight and the highly prized corpse was handed over to John Hunter.

According to press reports at the time the funeral went ahead as scheduled with everybody seemingly unaware that Byrne’s remains were no longer in the coffin.

byrne-QE Queen Elizabeth viewing the skeleton of Charles Byrne in 1962. PA Archive / PA Images PA Archive / PA Images / PA Images

About four years later Hunter unveiled the giant skeleton. The famous surgeon’s collection passed into the hands of the College of Surgeons in 1799 and Byrne’s skeleton has been on public display for much of the intervening years.

It has played an important role in advancing research including helping to link acromegaly  – the condition where someone produces too much growth hormone – and the pituitary gland.

Campaigners have long argued that scientific reasons cannot be used as justification for, going against Bryne’s expressed wishes, and keeping his skeleton on display.

Muinzer said the argument holds no water as a full DNA profile of Byrne has already been recorded and an exact copy of his skeleton could be created.  There are also other patients with the same condition who have offered their remains to be used for scientific research.

If the museum is not willing to release the remains the law lecturer said it should ensure that they do not go on display when the Hunterian reopens.

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    Mute Jacintha Dumbrell
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:36 AM

    “But it’s totally normal to have wildfires in January” said every Facebook expert.

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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:41 AM

    @Jacintha Dumbrell: Why are you having hissy fits on here about facebook posts that “trigger” you? I’d say something if the wildfires were happening here in Ireland, but they’re not. Happening the other side of the world. Get a grip clown.

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    Mute Name
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:52 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: the only one I see having a hissy fit is you. Truth hurts I suppose…

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    Mute Jason Memail
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:53 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: Absolute state of this. The standard of conversation in the comments section has become significantly worse since your account appeared.

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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:58 AM

    @Jason Memail: he’s outraged at everything and takes this comment section way too seriously, which I suppose you do if you live in social media bubbles all day.

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    Mute Ronan Mc
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    Jan 9th 2025, 12:02 PM

    @Jacintha Dumbrell: You think Facebook experts are bad now, wait til the crappy guardrails come off in a few weeks! But don’t worry, Zuck is doing it to save the world. With a bit of software. And 50% of it is minion memes.

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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Jan 9th 2025, 12:10 PM

    @Jason Memail: So because you dislike what I have to say, you think my account should be removed? Isn’t that the very principle ye leftists proclaim to defend? Seems ye have gone full circle. Nice attempt at “white knighting”. Dumbrell is far from a damzel in distress.

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Jan 9th 2025, 12:47 PM

    @Jacintha Dumbrell: Here a chart of Global Temperatures and CO2 Levels last 2000 years:

    https://imgur.com/gallery/global-temperature-co2-levels-last-2000-years-5ioVzFY

    We have a problem. And temperatures for the last 65 million years:

    https://www.marum.de/Binaries/Binary22794/CENOGRID-Cartoon-withProjection-alternate-2023CO2-CO2Bigger4.webp

    Current global temperatures are warmest in c. 125,000 years, CO2 levels are highest in c. 15 million years and they continue to rise rapidly.

    And here’s a study showing forest fires (intensity) are the worst in 10,000 years:

    Kelly, R., Chipman, M.L., Higuera, P.E., Stefanova, I., Brubaker, L.B. and Hu, F.S., 2013. Recent burning of boreal forests exceeds fire regime limits of the past 10,000 years. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(32), pp.13055-13060.

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    Mute Name
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:07 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: master of deduction yet again. Jason never mentioned that your account should be removed and how do you know he is a “leftist”. He only makes the (IMO correct) observation that the standard of your comments is deplorable.

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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:19 PM

    @Name: At least I use my name. And by the way, it’s only your opinion. Everyone has one.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:39 PM

    @Jacintha Dumbrell: Don’t read Facebook, read science based fact. Here’s a fact. In the area burning today there is vegetation which drops seeds in pods that can only open when exposed to…fire. Yes, climate change can alter local conditions which can make wildfires more likely, but in this particular instance damage is man-made only in the sense that man chose to build homes in areas where fires are not only likely but are essential to the lifecycle of local flora. High time the planning authorities took some responsibility for what’s occurring rather than point the finger at people who have the audacity to own a car or want to heat their homes.

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Jan 9th 2025, 2:08 PM

    @Ronan Mc: In fairness, libel action against defamation or slander should be taken by the courts. Not by some meta subsidiary. Everyone active on platforms should know how to properly sue someone. Including the journal comment section which is a goldmine.

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    Mute Ollie McGlinchey
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    Jan 9th 2025, 3:37 PM

    @Name: He or she is not outraged about anything. He or she is desperate for attention, good or bad. Mute them.

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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Jan 9th 2025, 3:44 PM

    @Ollie McGlinchey: A tolerant little lefty weirdo aren’t you Glinchy. Mute anyone you disagree with incase it hurts precious folks feelings. Grow up.

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:46 AM

    After the last fires Trump recommended that fire breaks between areas need to be implanted but got no support by the ever negative media, maybe he can get things moving when he gets back.

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    Mute Tom Newell
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:48 AM

    @thomas molloy: taking advice from trump on forrest management is like taking advice from bertie ahern on bank accounts…….both havent a clue

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    Mute Philip Kennedy
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    Jan 9th 2025, 12:34 PM

    @Tom Newell: what is a forrest? Do you mean forest?

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    Mute Mrs Leahy STMA
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:08 PM

    @Tom Newell: He also said that they should sweep the forest floors. Fire breaks would not have made an ounce of difference in 75 mph winds!

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Jan 9th 2025, 2:14 PM

    @thomas molloy: State of California is preparing to sue Trump for inaction and denial of global warming, causing wide spread destruction.

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    Mute Gearoid MacEachaidh
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    Jan 9th 2025, 2:39 PM

    @thomas molloy: except he never said that at all. He never mentioned “fire breaks”. He did talk about how the forestry service looked after the wilderness there and used the example of Finland “raking their forests” to prevent forest fires. Much to the amusement of Finns who do not rake their forests. Do you honestly think that Trump knows what a fire break is or how they work? As it happens fire breaks would not have done anything to prevent these current fires all of which started in brush in residential areas. The wind is driving them and embers from early fires are travelling through their via wind and causing fires elsewhere. They are crossing the many roads and highways in the hills. Not a lot could be done to prevent these fires sadly

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Jan 9th 2025, 5:10 PM

    @thomas molloy: impossible. Embers can travel several kilometres airborne. Fires can also start spontaneously in 0-10% humidity. Trump knows as much about managing forests as he does about every other topic. Virtually nil. May the Divils spawnings drag him to Hades and burn the Cheryl Cole off of him.

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    Mute Fergus O'Donnell
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:23 AM

    There’s an ad for a firewood in Northern Ireland placed in this article.
    Very tactful. Lol.

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    Mute Philip Kennedy
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    Jan 9th 2025, 12:30 PM

    @Fergus O’Donnell: lol. You really are hilarious.

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    Mute eoin fitzpatrick
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:46 AM

    looks like Gaza

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    Mute FlipBip
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    Jan 9th 2025, 12:00 PM

    @eoin fitzpatrick: There are definitely more Jews in Hollywood than in Gaza.

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    Mute DAN TEDSON
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:09 PM

    @eoin fitzpatrick: except they are not being starved to death and drones arent shooting wounded kids on the ground.

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Jan 9th 2025, 11:18 AM

    They should ask the Australians for help on how to put the fires out

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    Mute David Guiney
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    Jan 9th 2025, 12:46 PM

    Terrible news, but the thing dominating my head right now is the song Open Up by Leftfield.

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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:13 PM

    @David Guiney: indeed, and what a brilliant track! Leftfield and Lydon – what a combo

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Jan 9th 2025, 2:10 PM

    California should sue Trump for inaction on, even causing, global warming.

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    Mute DAN TEDSON
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:08 PM

    No sympathy for them.

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    Mute lastfewchocices
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:12 PM

    @DAN TEDSON: how sad it must be to be you.

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    Mute DAN TEDSON
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:22 PM

    @lastfewchocices: on the contrary, enjoying this karma immensely. Burn Hollywood, burn.

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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Jan 9th 2025, 1:29 PM

    @DAN TEDSON: karma for what?

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    Mute If you're
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    Jan 9th 2025, 8:40 PM

    @DAN TEDSON: PE

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