231cm Giant Finds True Eternal Rest After 240 Years Posthumously

Display of Remains at UK's Hunterian Museum After Death
Collector's Will... No Decision Yet on Remains Disposal Plan

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The remains of a man who was called the "Irish Giant" during his lifetime and became a museum exhibit after his death will finally rest in peace after 240 years.

On the 21st (local time), the New York Times (NYT) reported the tragic story of Charles Byrne, the "Irish Giant," whose skeleton was one of the popular exhibits at the Hunterian Museum in London, England, and will no longer be displayed starting this March.

Charles Byrne's skeletal remains exhibited at the Hunterian Museum.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Byrne, a giant standing 231 cm tall, was born in 1761 in the countryside of what is now Northern Ireland with acromegaly. Acromegaly is a chronic disease caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone, resulting in enlargement of the extremities of the body such as the hands, feet, nose, jaw, and lips. It causes distinctive facial features and various complications.

He made a living by using his great height. In 1781, at the age of 20, he moved to London and introduced himself as the "Irish Giant," turning his height into a spectacle that earned him a lot of money and fame. However, he died at the young age of 22 in 1783.

Last wish was to be 'water buried'... Friends secretly took his body

Many people showed great interest in acquiring Byrne's skeleton even while he was alive. Byrne reportedly asked those around him to perform a water burial, placing his body in a heavy coffin and sinking it under the sea after his death. However, after Byrne died, John Hunter, a British surgeon and anatomist, paid Byrne’s friends 500 pounds to secretly take his body. At that time, 500 pounds was a huge sum, equivalent to over 100 million won in today’s currency.

Soon after, Byrne’s skeleton began to be exhibited at Hunter’s residence in Leicester Square, London, and for more than 200 years since then, it has become one of the Hunterian Museum’s representative exhibits, attracting 80,000 visitors annually.

"Ethical concerns raised" Decision to stop displaying skeleton from March

Only belatedly was Byrne’s last will made known to the public, raising questions about whether it was ethically right to continue displaying his skeleton. Ultimately, the museum’s trust committee decided that when the Hunterian Museum, which has been closed for five years for repairs, reopens this March, Byrne’s skeleton will no longer be exhibited. Dan Kemp, director of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) in England, the parent institution of the Hunterian Museum, said, "What happened historically and Hunter’s actions were wrong," adding, "Removing Byrne’s skeleton from the exhibits is the first step in correcting that wrong."

It has not yet been decided how Byrne’s remains will be handled in the future. Some argue that his remains should be returned to his hometown in Northern Ireland for burial, while others believe the skeleton should be preserved for research purposes.

Hilary Mantel, the author who wrote a novel based on Byrne’s story, said, "Science has gained all it can from these bones," and "It would be honorable to let Byrne rest in peace." However, voices from the medical community have called for preserving the skeleton to continue research on factors affecting gigantism, such as growth hormones and tumors. Marta Korbonits, a professor of endocrinology at Queen Mary University, said, "The research is not yet finished."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.