Over 50 waxworks were either damaged or stolen during the robbery.

Among the figures targeted were Michael Collins, Patrick Pearse, Adolf Hitler, Franklin D Roosevelt, Bob the Builder and one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Over 400 wax figures were stored in the warehouse, which is at a location in the south city centre. The figures were not insured and museum officials have told gardai they estimate 1m worth of damage was caused, although gardai believe the figure is lower.

Staff at the museum went to check on the stored waxworks in recent weeks and only then realised a robbery had taken place. Other people use the building and it is popular with homeless alcoholics; a large rave is also thought to have taken place there recently.

Gardai believe a door may have been left open and local children might have spotted the wax figures and stolen them over the June bankholiday weekend.

The manager of the museum, Kay Murray, confirmed to the Sunday Tribune the figures were not insured and said it was unclear where the money would come from to repair the damage and replace the missing figures.

She estimated 1m worth of damage was caused because, although only 50 or so figures were stolen or defaced, their costumes are very expensive to make. Even if a button was taken from a jacket it could cost several thousand euro to replace, she said.

Staff believe thieves could have specifically targeted the warehouse because all the valuable uniforms were missing and many of the less valuable figures were untouched.

They say if children had stolen the waxworks, they would surely have been seen carrying away a giant turtle in the middle of town.

All the signatories of the 1916 Rising were stripped and their uniforms are among the most valuable. In some cases, uniforms had been donated by other museums.

The clothes of the main figures from the second world war exhibit . . . Winston Churchill, Charles De Gaulle, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Franklin D Roosevelt . . .

were also stolen.

Murray said the children's section of the museum proved especially popular with the raiders, with Bob the Builder and the entire Teletubbies display stolen along with one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Fred Flintstone and Frankenstein are also missing.

"There was a break-in and the gardai haven't made any arrests yet, " she confirmed.

"There was a lot of damage caused and we'll have to replace them but I don't know where the money will come from."

The museum closed down two years ago after politician Donie Cassidy sold the premises in Parnell Square to make way for a Comfort Inn hotel. Businessmen Paddy Dunning and Simon Kelly bought the collection from Cassidy and had plans to move it to a 50,000sq ft building in Smithfield.

The relaunched museum was due to open this summer but was denied planning permission because it was deemed the museum was not cultural enough for Smithfield.

Around 130,000 visitors used to flock to the wax museum annually, but no new premises have been secured and, with this latest financial blow, it is unclear whether it will ever reopen.

"Basically we are looking for a new premises, " Murray said. "Two years ago, we were told we'd be moving to Smithfield but we were not cultural enough for there and we still haven't been housed."

Murray said she gets dozens of calls weekly from loyal customers wondering when the museum will reopen.

"I get calls every day from regulars and I don't want to tell them lies but it is very odd that I can't tell them where or when the museum will reopen."