Overview
- Pre-excavation work began on June 16 with installation of 2.4-metre hoarding, controlled site access, 24-hour security monitoring
- Full-scale digging is scheduled to start in mid-July under the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam, with work expected to span two years
- Investigators aim to recover the remains of 796 infants who died between 1925 and 1961; DNA testing will be used when possible to restore individual identities
- The former St Mary’s Mother and Baby Home was operated by the Bon Secours Sisters, with the site now situated beneath a housing estate
- A 2021 state apology and a separate apology from the Bon Secours Sisters acknowledged past abuses, and gardaí may be notified if unlawful deaths are uncovered during the dig