Forensic Search Begins for Remains of Nearly 800 Infants in Tuam

Preparatory work has begun at the former mother and baby home site in Tuam, County Galway, where nearly 800 infants and young children are believed to be buried in unmarked graves, many in a disused sewage tank. This excavation follows the groundbreaking research by local historian Catherine Corless, who uncovered records of 796 infant deaths between 1925 and 1961, revealing that only two were buried in a cemetery while the rest were likely discarded on the grounds. Led by Daniel MacSweeney of the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, the excavation aims to recover, identify through DNA testing, and provide dignified reburials for the children, a process expected to take up to two years. Families of the deceased have been informed and will have opportunities to visit the site before it is closed off under forensic control. The project is part of Ireland’s ongoing reckoning with the traumatic legacy of mother and baby homes, institutions run by religious orders with state sanction where high infant mortality and mistreatment were rampant. The site, now surrounded by housing, will be secured to maintain forensic integrity while the complex excavation proceeds.