Ireland Begins Exhuming Remains of Nearly 800 Babies at Tuam Home

Officials in Ireland have commenced the excavation of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, to exhume the remains of approximately 796 infants and young children who died there between the 1920s and 1961. The site, previously run by Catholic nuns, contained a mass grave discovered in an underground sewage structure, with remains ranging from 35 weeks gestation to three years old. The excavation, expected to last about two years, aims to identify and analyze the remains, returning those identified to families and respectfully burying the unidentified. This effort follows historian Catherine Corless's 2014 research that uncovered death records without corresponding burial documentation, highlighting a tragic history of abuses in church-run institutions in Ireland. Survivors and family members will have opportunities to observe the excavation process, which is under strict forensic control to ensure integrity. Irish officials and the religious order have acknowledged past failures in protecting the dignity of the women and children housed at the institution, marking this excavation as a significant step in addressing historical injustices.