Ireland Uncovers Children Mass Grave: Excavations Begin

A New Probe into the Tuam Mother‑and‑Baby Home

The 18 former Catholic institutions that housed unmarried mothers and their children between 1925 and 1961 have become the focus of a two‑year forensic excavation led by Ireland’s Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention (ODAIT). The investigation follows a sequence of discoveries that began in 2014, when local historian Catherine Corless unearthed records showing that as many as 796 infants and young children died at the Tuam site.

Six‑Year Enquiry and the Scale of the Homes

• 56,000 unmarried women passed through 18 mother‑and‑baby homes nationwide over a 76‑year period.
• Approximately 57,000 children were accommodated in those institutions.
• State‑ and church‑run homes nationwide are estimated to have claimed 9,000 child lives.

Evidence of Mass Burials

Corless’s research compiled death certificates indicating causes ranging from tuberculosis and measles to convulsions and whooping cough. She argued that the corpses were likely stored in a disused septic tank discovered in 1975. The tank’s subterranean layers now sit beneath a modern housing complex built after the estate was demolished in 1972.

The 2023 ODAIT Appointment

ODAIT was officially tasked in 2023 to oversee the Tuam excavation, ensuring that the forensic integrity of the site remains protected by a 2.4‑meter hoard and 24‑hour security monitoring. Daniel MacSweeney, ODAIT director, announced that DNA samples have already been collected from around thirty relatives. The program will expand in the coming months to gather as much genetic evidence as possible.

International Collaboration

The excavation involves experts from Colombia, Spain, Britain, Canada and the United States. The team will conduct exhumation, analysis, identification where possible, and re‑interment of the remains found.

Human Rights and Dignity

Anna Corrigan, speaking earlier this month, emphasized that the children and their mothers were denied every human right and dignity, both in life and in death. “These children were denied every human right in their lifetime, as were their mothers, and they were denied dignity and respect in death,” she told reporters.

The Path Forward

Corless, 71, reflected on the formidable journey: “It’s been a fierce battle. When I started this nobody wanted to listen. At last we are righting the wrongs. I was just begging: take the babies out of this sewage system and give them the decent Christian burial that they were denied.” The excavation at the Tuam site aims to provide closure for families whose loved ones may have been interred there and to bring the full scandal of mother‑and‑baby homes to light.