International experts join mass grave excavation at Tuam mother and baby home
Personnel from Colombia, Spain, the UK, Canada and the US have joined the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention (ODAIT) team in Tuam, Co Galway as pre-excavation work continues.
The full-scale excavation of the site will try to identify the remains of infants who died at the home between 1925 and 1961.
In 2014, research led by local historian Catherine Corless indicated that 796 babies and young children were buried in a sewage system at the Co Galway institution across that time period.
A memorial left at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co Galway, at the start of pre-excavation works (Andrew Downes/ODAIT/PA)
The St Mary's home for unmarried mothers and their children was run by the Bon Secours Sisters, a religious order of Catholic nuns.
In 2021, Taoiseach Micheál Martin delivered an apology on behalf of the State for the treatment of women and children who were housed in mother and baby homes across Ireland.
The Bon Secours Sisters also offered a 'profound apology' after acknowledging the order had 'failed to protect the inherent dignity' of women and children in the Tuam home.
The work at the burial site, which is being undertaken by the ODAIT, will involve exhumation, analysis, identification if possible, and re-interment of the remains at the site.
A 2.4-metre-high hoarding has been installed around the perimeter.
Workers have arrived on site to prepare ahead of excavation works (Andrew Downes/ODAIT/PA)
The site is subject to security monitoring on a 24-hour basis to ensure the forensic integrity of the site during the excavation.
The excavation is expected to begin next week and is anticipated to last two years.
Speaking as part of a media briefing at the site on Monday, ODAIT leader Daniel McSweeney said: 'We have reached an important new stage of this unique and incredibly complex excavation. It's three weeks since we took control of the site and significant progress has been made since then.
'We have recruited essential expert staff to the team, preparation work at the site is ongoing to safeguard the integrity of the site and the sensitive nature of the work.'
A worker at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co Galway, at the start of pre-excavation works (Andrew Downes/ODAIT/PA)
The ODAIT will host a 'Family and Survivors Day' on Tuesday, which Mr McSweeney described as 'the most important event of the week'.
This event, which is closed to the media, will encompass a visit to the site and a meeting to 'keep them informed about the work that has taken place so far and about what will be taking place next'.
He added: 'We continue to work closely with the residents living close to the site to ensure minimum disruption is caused to them by the works.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
Call for regulation of 'laughing gas' due to harm posed to reproductive health
THE GOVERNMENT HAS been urged to take action and regulate the sale of nitrous oxide following its classification by the EU as toxic for human reproduction and the nervous system. Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward, who has been vocal on the issue, has drafted legislation to ban the sale of nitrous oxide to the public and is appealing to the government to cooperate with him and pass the bill. Also known as 'laughing gas', the substance is sold in canisters, which often end up as litter on the streets, and are used by teens and young people for short highs. The colourless, sweet-smelling gas is sometimes used in medicine for sedation or pain relief. It is also used in catering to make whipped cream, making policing its import and use challenging. In recent years, recreational use has surged. Its use can have devastating impacts, with multiple deaths in Europe of teenagers and people in their 20s, including 15-year-old Tallaght teenager Alex Ryan, who was found dead after apparently ingesting the substance in 2020. As a result of the passing of a European Union Delegated Act, which classifies the substance as harmful, the European Commission plans to update existing restrictions on its sale. Advertisement Ward has said there is no reason for the Irish government to wait, given that the harms are already known. 'Studies have shown the harm to reproduction that medical and dental staff faced when exposed to small amounts of the gas in the course of their work. These studies showed decreased fertility in these workers,' Ward said. 'My fear is that people are using nitrous oxide as a quick high and they are taking much more concentrated doses of the gas than the staff in those studies. 'I am particularly worried for young people who are using it in this way,' he added. Recently, The Journal Investigates found large canisters of nitrous oxide for sale on online classified ad sites , including the Irish version of Amazon. Nitrous oxide is not currently a controlled substance under Ireland's Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, though it is an offence to sell a psychoactive substance – which nitrous oxide is – for human consumption. After much campaigning, it was classified as a controlled drug in the UK in 2023. Ward's bill, which is currently before the Dáil, aims to restrict the drug's misuse by introducing age restrictions for under-18s. Includes reporting from Conor O'Carroll. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Agriland
6 hours ago
- Agriland
Beefing up animal health at Tateetra & Rathmore Farms with injectable dosing
At Tateetra & Rathmore Farms in counties Louth and Meath, John Kingham runs one of the most impressive suckler operations in Ireland. With around 500 suckler cows and 1,000 head of cattle on the ground, keeping stock healthy and thriving is a top priority. For John, animal health planning is every bit as important as grassland management and breeding policy. His 'calf-to-weanling' system demands consistent growth rates and minimal setbacks - which is why he has added Doramax Injection, Chanelle Pharma's latest innovation, to his herd health programme. Running a large-scale beef enterprise means working in all kinds of weather and at all hours, but John said Doramax Injection has fitted seamlessly into his system. 'It's a massive plus that we can use it in any weather, any time of day,' he explained. 'There's no setback after dosing - cattle keep thriving. "In the beef game at the minute, every kilo you put on per day is money in the bank, so you need to be using top-end doses.' John values the persistent activity of Doramax Injection, which provides ongoing parasite control and helps cattle maintain performance. He is clear that the future of parasite control is smarter, not heavier. 'Blanket dosing on a fixed calendar doesn't always make sense,' the farmer said. 'We base treatments on faecal egg counts and other diagnostic tools so we only treat when needed. It's better for the cattle, slows resistance, and keeps products effective for longer.' Doramax is the latest in a line of Chanelle products that John has used successfully over the years. 'I've been using Chanelle doses for several seasons now – they're very reliable and they're good value. Doramax just adds another option to the toolkit,' he said. Farmers looking to see the results of John's system first-hand will have their chance this autumn. Tateetra & Rathmore Farms will host an on-farm sale of 80 heifers on Friday, 26 September at 7:00p.m in Tateetra, Co. Louth. Affordable and Irish-made – as a leading generic manufacturer, Chanelle offers value without compromising quality; Injectable formulation allows for flexible for use in all weather and at any time of day; Broad spectrum protection; Adds variety to dosing programmes for long-term herd health. Brand name: Doramax 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cattle Active substance: Doramectin Indications (cattle): Treatment of infestations of gastrointestinal roundworms, lungworms, eyeworms, warbles, sucking and biting lice, and mange mites. See SPC for the full list of species and life stages. Administration and dose (cattle): Subcutaneous injection in the neck at 1ml/50kg bodyweight. Weigh animals to ensure accurate dosing. Follow the SPC for equipment use and injection site guidance. Withdrawal periods (cattle): Meat and offal: 70 days Milk: Do not use in lactating cows producing milk for human consumption. Do not use in pregnant cows or heifers intended to produce milk for human consumption within two months of expected parturition. Always check the current SPC for your market. Legal category: Prescription only. Important safety and stewardship: Read the label and SPC before use; Observe all special warnings and precautions, including resistance management and environmental protection; If you are not the prescriber, seek advice from your veterinary surgeon, pharmacist, or SQP as applicable. Use medicines responsibly. See the NOAH Code of Practice. Marketing authorisation holder: Chanelle Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Ltd. Date of preparation: August 2025. This native article is intended for professional keepers of animals. The video shows one farm's approach under professional advice. It does not replace the SPC or prescriber guidance.
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Tipperary councillor joins forces with Cork TD to expand access to cross-border healthcare
Independent councillor John O'Heney has been running the Sightsaver Bus since 2023, and recently announced the launch of the Sightsaver Train to allow people to travel to Belfast by train to access medical treatments. Now, Cllr O'Heney has announced that he has teamed up with Cork TD Michael Collins, who also operates a similar service, to ensure that buses can run more regularly to allow even more people to access healthcare. "This new collaboration will now allow the service to operate more regularly, with each representatives' patients having access to the others buses and trains, if necessary, thus providing a very regular and efficient service to the North for healthcare needs,' Cllr O'Heney said in a statement. 'Both representatives wish to make clear that this is not a political alliance, but a practical collaboration focused solely on ensuring that individuals in need of medical care can receive it in a timely and efficient manner,' he added. Cllr O'Heney established the Sightsaver Bus in 2023 to bring people from Tipperary to Kingsbridge Hospital in Belfast for surgery for cataracts, knee and hip replacements, and more. Through the Cross Border Directive, people from the Republic of Ireland who are waiting on medical treatments can choose to have them elsewhere in the European Union. Under the Directive, people will be repaid the cost of what it would have been to have surgery in an Irish public hospital, or the cost of their treatment elsewhere, whatever is less. Launching the Sightsaver Train, Cllr O'Heney said that anyone who is in need of a medical appointment that they're currently on a waiting list for, should contact him. "Many people have availed of the train for ankle consultations, hip consultations and cataract treatments, so please reach out to me if you ever need any assistance in relation to healthcare treatments. "Don't be stuck on a waiting list, reach out to me, and you'll get sent to Belfast straight away,' the independent councillor added.
