How were babies' mass graves discovered in church-run home in Ireland?
These children have been unidentified for at least 65 years, and it was only a decade ago that a local historian discovered the existence of the mass graves.
Here is what we know about who they may be, how they were found, and how they died.
What's happening now?
The excavation, which began on Monday, is expected to last two years.
It will be on the site of St Mary's, a 'mother and baby home' run by the nuns of the Catholic order of Bon Secours Sisters, which no longer exists.
The excavation will be by Ireland's Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention (ODAIT), in collaboration with experts from the United Kingom, Canada, Colombia, Spain and the United States.
Daniel MacSweeney, ODAIT director in Tuam, who is leading the excavation, told a recent news conference that the remains will be exhumed, analysed, identified where possible, and reburied.
He added that the exhumation is 'incredibly complex' because some remains are mingled, archival records are lacking and it will be difficult to separate male from female remains if DNA cannot be recovered.
What is a 'mother and baby home'?
'Mother and baby homes' were established across Ireland in the 20th century to house unmarried pregnant women who had no other source of support – family or otherwise – in a deeply conservative society.
The vast majority of the 'homes' were operated by religious institutions, chiefly the Catholic Church.
Shunned by society, the women sought help there, often suffering deep neglect and mistreatment, having their babies taken away for 'adoptions' they could not trace.
St Mary's housed thousands of single mothers and their children between 1925 and 1961. It also housed hundreds of families of different configurations as well as unaccompanied children.
How were the graves found?
Local historian Catherine Corless discovered them nearly a decade ago.
Corless grew up in Tuam and held vague memories of 'gaunt, desolate children being herded into the classroom at school, always a little later than the rest of us', she wrote in The Observer late last month.
'We were instructed by the nuns not to mix with those children, told that they carried disease. They did not continue into the higher classes and were soon forgotten,' Corless wrote.
In 2012, Corless remembered the children when asked to contribute to a publication by the local historical society.
She learned about the home after speaking to elderly residents of the city and began piecing information together, poring through maps and records.
She found that there were no burial records for the many babies and children who died before the home closed down in 1961. While they had all been baptised, the Church denied knowledge of their death or burials.
She also found that in 1970, two boys had found bones in an exposed part of the sewage tank and concluded there was enough evidence that the deceased babies and children were buried in a mass grave.
Corless found records showing that as many as 796 babies and children died while they were at the home.
Corless wrote that the Bon Secours sisters hired a PR company to deny the existence of a mass grave, claiming the bones were from the famine.
However, Irish media eventually picked up her findings, prompting the Irish government to launch an investigation in 2015 into about 18 of the large mother and baby homes in Ireland.
In 2016, a preliminary excavation revealed 'significant quantities of human remains' at Tuam.
How did these babies die?
State-issued death certificates list a range of causes of death, including tuberculosis, convulsions, anaemia, meningitis, measles, whooping cough and sometimes no reason.
The first child to die was Patrick Derrane, who was five months old when he died from gastroenteritis in 1925.
The last child to die was Mary Carty, also five months old when she died in 1960. The reason for her death is not specified.
St Mary's was in a large 'workhouse' that was built in the mid-1800s, and it lacked central heating, heated water, and adequate sanitary facilities for nearly its entire existence.
In the report by a commission established to investigate 'mother and baby homes' in Ireland, former inmates had mixed experiences, with some saying their time at St Mary's was fine, while others recounted a lack of food, rest, warmth, and even mothers denied access to their children.
What has the church said?
In 2014, then-Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary said: 'I am horrified and saddened to hear of the large number of deceased children involved and this points to a time of great suffering and pain for the little ones and their mothers.
'As the diocese did not have any involvement in the running of the home in Tuam, we do not have any material relating to it in our archives,' Neary said. He added that the records held by the Bon Secours Sisters were handed to Galway County Council and health authorities in 1961.
In January of that year, the Bon Secours Sisters issued an apology signed by Sister Eileen O'Connor, which included: 'We did not live up to our Christianity when running the Home.
'We acknowledge in particular that infants and children who died at the Home were buried in a disrespectful and unacceptable way. For all that, we are deeply sorry.'
Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin acknowledged that the Catholic Church was part of a culture that stigmatised people.
'For that, and for the long-lasting hurt and emotional distress that has resulted, I unreservedly apologise to the survivors and to all those who are personally impacted,' he said in 2021.
In 2021, the Irish government released a 3,000-page report based on the findings from their investigation which was launched in 2015. After this, all institutions formally apologised and pledged to excavate the site at Tuam.
In January of that year, the Bon Secours Sisters issued an apology statement. 'We did not live up to our Christianity when running the Home,' the statement wrote. The statement, signed off by Sister Eileen O'Connor acknowledged that the sisters did not uphold the inherent dignity of the women and children who came to the Home.
Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin also apologised, acknowledging that the Catholic Church was part of a culture where people were stigmatised or judged.
'For that, and for the long-lasting hurt and emotional distress that has resulted, I unreservedly apologise to the survivors and to all those who are personally impacted by the realities it uncovers,' Marin said in a statement in 2021.
What has the Irish government said?
Also in January of 2021, Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Micheal Martin apologised in parliament on behalf of the state.
In 2021, the Irish government released the 3,000-page commission report after six years of investigation, resulting in formal apologies and pledges to excavate the site at Tuam.
In 2022, a law was passed allowing the remains to be exhumed and tested.
What have family members of inmates said?
'These children were denied every human right in their lifetime as were their mothers,' Anna Corrigan, whose two siblings may have been buried at Tuam, told reporters this month.
'And they were denied dignity and respect in death.'
Many children born in the homes survived but were taken to orphanages in other places or put up for adoption by the nuns.
The mothers and families of these children did not know, and in many cases could not find out, what happened to their babies.
Has this only happened in Ireland?
Children in state or religious care in other parts of the world have also been abused in the past.
In New Zealand, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found in 2024 that approximately one in three individuals in state or religious care between 1950 and 2019 experienced abuse.
During this period, about 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, which particularly targeted Indigenous Maori and Pacific Islanders.
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada found that the residential school system had amounted to cultural genocide.
The system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous children who were forcefully taken from their families for 'reprogramming'. They ran from 1879 to 1997 under the Catholic, Anglican and United Churches.
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Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Al Jazeera
How were babies' mass graves discovered in church-run home in Ireland?
Digging has begun to uncover the remains of some 800 infants and young children buried in mass graves in Tuam, western Ireland. These children have been unidentified for at least 65 years, and it was only a decade ago that a local historian discovered the existence of the mass graves. Here is what we know about who they may be, how they were found, and how they died. What's happening now? The excavation, which began on Monday, is expected to last two years. It will be on the site of St Mary's, a 'mother and baby home' run by the nuns of the Catholic order of Bon Secours Sisters, which no longer exists. The excavation will be by Ireland's Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention (ODAIT), in collaboration with experts from the United Kingom, Canada, Colombia, Spain and the United States. Daniel MacSweeney, ODAIT director in Tuam, who is leading the excavation, told a recent news conference that the remains will be exhumed, analysed, identified where possible, and reburied. He added that the exhumation is 'incredibly complex' because some remains are mingled, archival records are lacking and it will be difficult to separate male from female remains if DNA cannot be recovered. What is a 'mother and baby home'? 'Mother and baby homes' were established across Ireland in the 20th century to house unmarried pregnant women who had no other source of support – family or otherwise – in a deeply conservative society. The vast majority of the 'homes' were operated by religious institutions, chiefly the Catholic Church. Shunned by society, the women sought help there, often suffering deep neglect and mistreatment, having their babies taken away for 'adoptions' they could not trace. St Mary's housed thousands of single mothers and their children between 1925 and 1961. It also housed hundreds of families of different configurations as well as unaccompanied children. How were the graves found? Local historian Catherine Corless discovered them nearly a decade ago. Corless grew up in Tuam and held vague memories of 'gaunt, desolate children being herded into the classroom at school, always a little later than the rest of us', she wrote in The Observer late last month. 'We were instructed by the nuns not to mix with those children, told that they carried disease. They did not continue into the higher classes and were soon forgotten,' Corless wrote. In 2012, Corless remembered the children when asked to contribute to a publication by the local historical society. She learned about the home after speaking to elderly residents of the city and began piecing information together, poring through maps and records. She found that there were no burial records for the many babies and children who died before the home closed down in 1961. While they had all been baptised, the Church denied knowledge of their death or burials. She also found that in 1970, two boys had found bones in an exposed part of the sewage tank and concluded there was enough evidence that the deceased babies and children were buried in a mass grave. Corless found records showing that as many as 796 babies and children died while they were at the home. Corless wrote that the Bon Secours sisters hired a PR company to deny the existence of a mass grave, claiming the bones were from the famine. However, Irish media eventually picked up her findings, prompting the Irish government to launch an investigation in 2015 into about 18 of the large mother and baby homes in Ireland. In 2016, a preliminary excavation revealed 'significant quantities of human remains' at Tuam. How did these babies die? State-issued death certificates list a range of causes of death, including tuberculosis, convulsions, anaemia, meningitis, measles, whooping cough and sometimes no reason. The first child to die was Patrick Derrane, who was five months old when he died from gastroenteritis in 1925. The last child to die was Mary Carty, also five months old when she died in 1960. The reason for her death is not specified. St Mary's was in a large 'workhouse' that was built in the mid-1800s, and it lacked central heating, heated water, and adequate sanitary facilities for nearly its entire existence. In the report by a commission established to investigate 'mother and baby homes' in Ireland, former inmates had mixed experiences, with some saying their time at St Mary's was fine, while others recounted a lack of food, rest, warmth, and even mothers denied access to their children. What has the church said? In 2014, then-Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary said: 'I am horrified and saddened to hear of the large number of deceased children involved and this points to a time of great suffering and pain for the little ones and their mothers. 'As the diocese did not have any involvement in the running of the home in Tuam, we do not have any material relating to it in our archives,' Neary said. He added that the records held by the Bon Secours Sisters were handed to Galway County Council and health authorities in 1961. In January of that year, the Bon Secours Sisters issued an apology signed by Sister Eileen O'Connor, which included: 'We did not live up to our Christianity when running the Home. 'We acknowledge in particular that infants and children who died at the Home were buried in a disrespectful and unacceptable way. For all that, we are deeply sorry.' Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin acknowledged that the Catholic Church was part of a culture that stigmatised people. 'For that, and for the long-lasting hurt and emotional distress that has resulted, I unreservedly apologise to the survivors and to all those who are personally impacted,' he said in 2021. In 2021, the Irish government released a 3,000-page report based on the findings from their investigation which was launched in 2015. After this, all institutions formally apologised and pledged to excavate the site at Tuam. In January of that year, the Bon Secours Sisters issued an apology statement. 'We did not live up to our Christianity when running the Home,' the statement wrote. The statement, signed off by Sister Eileen O'Connor acknowledged that the sisters did not uphold the inherent dignity of the women and children who came to the Home. Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin also apologised, acknowledging that the Catholic Church was part of a culture where people were stigmatised or judged. 'For that, and for the long-lasting hurt and emotional distress that has resulted, I unreservedly apologise to the survivors and to all those who are personally impacted by the realities it uncovers,' Marin said in a statement in 2021. What has the Irish government said? Also in January of 2021, Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Micheal Martin apologised in parliament on behalf of the state. In 2021, the Irish government released the 3,000-page commission report after six years of investigation, resulting in formal apologies and pledges to excavate the site at Tuam. In 2022, a law was passed allowing the remains to be exhumed and tested. What have family members of inmates said? 'These children were denied every human right in their lifetime as were their mothers,' Anna Corrigan, whose two siblings may have been buried at Tuam, told reporters this month. 'And they were denied dignity and respect in death.' Many children born in the homes survived but were taken to orphanages in other places or put up for adoption by the nuns. The mothers and families of these children did not know, and in many cases could not find out, what happened to their babies. Has this only happened in Ireland? Children in state or religious care in other parts of the world have also been abused in the past. In New Zealand, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found in 2024 that approximately one in three individuals in state or religious care between 1950 and 2019 experienced abuse. During this period, about 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, which particularly targeted Indigenous Maori and Pacific Islanders. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada found that the residential school system had amounted to cultural genocide. The system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous children who were forcefully taken from their families for 'reprogramming'. They ran from 1879 to 1997 under the Catholic, Anglican and United Churches.
Al Jazeera
09-06-2025
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Climate action clashes with tradition in Ireland's peat bogs
As wind turbines on the horizon churn out clean energy, John Smyth bends to stack damp peat – the cheap, smoky fuel he has harvested for half a century. The painstaking work of 'footing turf', as the process of drying peat for burning is known, is valued by people across rural Ireland as a source of low-cost energy that gives their homes a distinctive smell. But peat-harvesting has also destroyed precious wildlife habitats, and converted what should be natural stores for carbon dioxide into one of Ireland's biggest sources of planet-warming gas emissions. As the European Union seeks to make Dublin enforce the bloc's environmental law, peat has become a focus for opposition to policies that Smyth and others criticise as designed by wealthy urbanites with little knowledge of rural reality. 'The people that are coming up with plans to stop people from buying turf or from burning turf … They don't know what it's like to live in rural Ireland,' Smyth said. He describes himself as a dinosaur obstructing people who, he says, want to destroy rural Ireland. 'That's what we are. Dinosaurs. Tormenting them.' When the peat has dried, Smyth keeps his annual stock in a shed and tosses the sods, one at a time, into a metal stove used for cooking. The stove also heats radiators around his home. Turf, Smyth says, is for people who cannot afford what he labels 'extravagant fuels', such as gas or electricity. The average Irish household energy bill is almost double, according to Ireland's utility regulator, the 800 euros ($906) Smyth pays for turf for a year. Smyth, nevertheless, acknowledges that digging for peat could cease, regardless of politics, as the younger generation has little interest in keeping the tradition alive. 'They don't want to go to the bog. I don't blame them,' Smyth said. Peat has an ancient history. Over thousands of years, decaying plants in wetland areas formed the bogs. In drier, lowland parts of Ireland, dome-shaped raised bogs developed as peat accumulated in former glacial lakes. In upland and coastal areas, high rainfall and poor drainage created blanket bogs over large expanses. In the absence of coal and extensive forests, peat became an important source of fuel. By the second half of the 20th century, hand-cutting and drying had mostly given way to industrial-scale harvesting that reduced many bogs to barren wastelands. Ireland has lost more than 70 percent of its blanket bog and over 80 percent of its raised bogs, according to estimates published by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council and National Parks and Wildlife Service, respectively. Following pressure from environmentalists, in the 1990s, an EU directive on habitats listed blanket bogs and raised bogs as priority habitats. As the EU regulation added to the pressure for change, in 2015, semi-state peat harvesting firm Bord na Mona said it planned to end peat extraction and shift to renewable energy. In 2022, the sale of peat for burning was banned. An exception was made, however, for 'turbary rights', allowing people to dig turf for their personal use. Added to that, weak enforcement of complex regulations meant commercial-scale harvesting has continued across the country. The agency also said 350,000 tonnes of peat were exported, mostly for horticulture, in 2023. Data for 2024 has not yet been published. The European Commission, which lists more than 100 Irish bogs as Special Areas of Conservation, last year referred Ireland to the European Court of Justice for failing to protect them and taking insufficient action to restore the sites. The country also faces fines of billions of euros if it misses its 2030 carbon reduction target, according to Ireland's fiscal watchdog and climate groups. Degraded peatlands in Ireland emit 21.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, according to a 2022 United Nations report. Ireland's transport sector, by comparison, emitted 21.4 million tonnes in 2023, government statistics show. The Irish government says turf-cutting has ended on almost 80 percent of the raised bog special areas of conservation since 2011. It has tasked Bord na Mona with 'rewetting' the bogs, allowing natural ecosystems to recover, and eventually making the bogs once again carbon sinks. So far, Bord na Mona says it has restored approximately 20,000 hectares (49,421 acres) of its 80,000-hectare target.
Al Jazeera
30-05-2025
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Ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams wins libel case against the BBC
Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has won a libel case against the BBC over a report alleging he sanctioned the killing of an informant in the Irish republican movement. A jury at Ireland's High Court on Friday found that the BBC had not acted in good faith and in a 'fair and reasonable' way and awarded Adams 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages. Adams brought the lawsuit over a claim in a 2016 documentary and online article that he sanctioned the killing of Denis Donaldson, a long-serving Sinn Fein official who acknowledged in 2005 that he had worked for British intelligence. He was shot dead at his cottage in rural Ireland four months later. The BBC 'Spotlight' investigation included an anonymous allegation that the murder was sanctioned by the political and military leadership of the Irish Republican Army and that Adams gave 'the final say'. Adams denies any involvement. Speaking outside court, Adams, 76, said the case was 'about putting manners on the British Broadcasting Corporation'. His solicitors said Adams was 'very pleased with this resounding verdict'. Adams, 76, is one of the most influential figures of Northern Ireland's decades of conflict, and its peace process. He led Sinn Fein, the party linked to the IRA, between 1983 and 2018. He has always denied being an IRA member, but former colleagues have said he was one of its leaders. The BBC argued that it acted in 'good faith', that its programme was 'fair and reasonable' and in the public interest, and that the allegation made in the documentary was supported by five other sources. Speaking outside Dublin High Court alongside Spotlight reporter Jennifer O'Leary, BBC Northern Ireland director Adam Smyth told reporters they were disappointed with the verdict. 'We believe we supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial process and journalistic diligence applied to this programme and accompanying online article,' Smyth said. 'Moreover, it was accepted by the court, and conceded by Gerry Adams' legal team, that the Spotlight broadcast and publication were of the highest public interest.' Adams brought the case in Dublin as the Spotlight programme could be watched in Ireland, where it was seen by about 16,000 people. An online article also had about 700 hits in Ireland during a 14-month period after its publication in September 2016.
