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2d ago

Forensic Excavation Begins to Recover 796 Infants From Tuam Mass Grave

The Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention has launched a two-year forensic dig at Tuam to identify remains of infants who died without proper burial records.

Anna Corrigan, whose brothers were born in the former Tuam mother and baby home, stands at a graveyard located just three minutes from the site. "There was this graveyard here always," she said, adding: "But instead, they threw them in a septic tank."
Maggie O'Connor survived St. Mary's Home in Tuam. Her daughter, Mary Margaret, was among nearly 800 children who died there.
Photos of the septic tank chambers, published in Catherine Corless' article revealing her research to the world in 2014.

Overview

  • The two-year excavation officially began this week, with perimeter hoarding installed and 24-hour security at the former Tuam site.
  • An international team of forensic scientists and archaeologists is leading the dig to exhume remains from a decommissioned septic tank thought to hold 796 infants.
  • DNA samples have been collected from relatives to aid in identifying the children, many of whom died without recorded burials under the Bon Secours Sisters’ care.
  • The operation follows Catherine Corless’s research and the 2022 Institutional Burials Act, which established the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention in 2023.
  • Recovered remains will undergo analysis, identification where possible, and respectful reinterment with families provided official records and closure.