- Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Preparatory work has started at the former Tuam mother and baby home in Ireland, where nearly 800 infants are believed to be buried in unmarked graves. Full excavation is set to begin on July 14 as Ireland confronts a harrowing legacy.
By: Vibhuti Pathak
Preparatory work has begun at the site of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, as Ireland confronts the harrowing legacy of its mother and baby homes scandal. The site is believed to contain the remains of nearly 800 infants and young children, buried between 1925 and 1961, many in a disused septic tank.
“A Unique and Incredibly Complex Excavation”
Daniel MacSweeney, who is overseeing the operation, described the task ahead as “a unique and incredibly complex excavation.” The first four weeks will focus on sealing off the site and erecting secure hoarding, with the full-scale dig scheduled to begin on July 14.
The operation is expected to last up to two years, given the size of the site and the challenges of identifying infant remains, some of which may be co-mingled with those of famine victims from the 19th century.
“It’s an incredibly complex challenge because of the size of the site and the fact that we are dealing with infant remains that we know, at least in the case of the memorial gardens (on the site), are co-mingled,” MacSweeney explained.
Forensic specialists will analyze and safeguard the remains. Identified remains will be returned to families, while unidentified bodies will be interred with dignity and respect.
“We Gave Them Up… Because of Our Perverse, Morbid Relationship With What Is Called Respectability”
The Tuam home was one of many institutions run by religious orders, sanctioned by the state, where unmarried pregnant women were sent to give birth, often under harsh conditions. These homes doubled as orphanages and adoption agencies, with the state overlooking deprivation, stigma, and high infant mortality rates.
Enda Kenny, then taoiseach in 2017, reflected on Ireland’s collective responsibility:
“No nuns broke into our homes to kidnap our children. We gave them up to what we convinced ourselves was the nuns’ care. We gave them up maybe to spare them the savagery of gossip, the wink and the elbow language of delight in which the holier-than-thous were particularly fluent. We gave them up because of our perverse, in fact, morbid relationship with what is called respectability.”
“We Have to Wait to See What Unfolds Now as a Result of the Excavation”
The discovery of the mass grave and the subsequent investigation were set in motion by local historian Catherine Corless, who uncovered death records for 796 children but found only one burial record. Her research led to the revelation that many children were buried in unmarked graves on the property, and in 2017, test excavations confirmed the presence of child remains in a former septic tank.
Corless’s work prompted a state commission of investigation, which found that nearly 9,000 children died in 18 such institutions across Ireland, with many deaths attributed to respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, and other illnesses.
“A Vital Step to Restoring Some Measure of Dignity”
For survivors and families, the excavation is a milestone in a decades-long fight for justice. Patrick Rodgers, regional manager of the charity Fréa, which supports those affected by Ireland’s institutions, said:
“The beginning of exhumation work at the grounds of the Tuam Mother and Baby institution is a vital step to restoring some measure of dignity to those whose deaths and manner of burial caused so much anguish.”
Survivors and relatives will have the opportunity to observe the excavation in the coming weeks, though the site will remain under forensic supervision and closed to the public.
“A Chamber of Horrors”: A Dark Stain on Irish Society
The Tuam scandal has been described as a “chamber of horrors” and a dark stain on Irish society. The government issued a formal apology in 2021, acknowledging the deep trauma caused by these institutions.
As excavation begins, Ireland is forced once again to reckon with a painful chapter of its past, seeking truth, accountability, and dignity for the lost children
