Crews Excavate Nearly 800 Infant Remains in Tuam Ireland

Excavation work has begun at the site of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Ireland, where nearly 800 infants and children are believed to have died and been buried in a hidden septic tank. The home, operated by Catholic nuns from the 1920s until its closure in 1961, housed unmarried pregnant women who were often forced to give up their babies, who were then raised by the nuns or adopted, frequently without family consent. Historian Catherine Corless uncovered the deaths of 798 children through death certificates in 2014 but found almost no burial records, leading to the discovery of the mass grave in an underground sewage structure known as "the pit." DNA analysis revealed the children ranged from 35 weeks gestation to three years old, with causes of death including respiratory infections and gastroenteritis. The excavation, expected to take up to two years, aims to identify the remains and provide dignified reburials, offering some closure to survivors and families. The Irish government has apologized for the tragedy, acknowledging the failure to protect the dignity of the women and children involved, and this excavation is part of a broader reckoning with abuses in church-run institutions across Ireland.