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Preparations Underway for Exhumation of 796 Children’s Remains in Tuam

Experts are securing the former St. Mary’s septic tank site this week to pave the way for July excavations, including DNA sampling to identify the children.

Overview

  • A total of 796 children who died at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home are scheduled to be exhumed from the former septic tank site in July 2025.
  • The home was run by the Bon Secours Sisters from 1922 until its demolition in 1972, leaving the septic tank intact beneath a modern housing development.
  • DNA sampling will involve relatives proving family links to help identify the recovered remains.
  • Official excavations were authorized by legislation in 2022, following the discovery of human remains in 2016 and 2017.
  • Researcher Catherine Corless first exposed the mass grave in 2014, and activists have since denounced the Catholic Church and Irish government for their delayed response.