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Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Scene of shame at Tuam may give closure
The horrifying situation in Tuam, Co Galway, has been a national shame ever since it was confirmed over a decade ago that the remains of hundreds of children who had died in the local mother and baby home were thrown into a nearby septic tank. Even now, that bald assertion of fact retains the power to shock. It is an unmatchable illustration of the level of hypocrisy in Irish society over many decades that this was allowed to happen, and the conduct of the Bons Secours nuns — who ran the home for Galway County Council — illustrates that hypocrisy perfectly. When the order sold the land, the nuns exhumed their dead colleagues and reinterred them at another cemetery. However, they left the remains of the children who had been in their care where they were discarded. We should be thankful to the likes of Catherine Corless, the indefatigable local historian who persisted in investigating this situation, and brought it to national and international attention. Journalists such as Alison O'Reilly have also done the State some service in their commitment to presenting truths which may have been uncomfortable for some, but which were necessary for all to hear. This month, excavation is due to begin at the site in Tuam at long last. Alison spoke this week to the families of those who believe the remains of their relatives are buried at the site, and their testimony was deeply moving. These are ordinary people, many of them elderly, who are hoping to find some answers after decades of being betrayed by both the church and State. One man Alison spoke to hopes to learn more about his aunt, who died in 1936; one woman in her 90s said she did not know if her son, born in 1949, is 'in a hole in a pipe somewhere'. The excavation project is expected to be a complex and challenging one, but it is to be hoped that it will provide some answers to people who have lived with grief and pain for many years. Those families deserve something approaching closure after all this time. A vital but not final milestone The Leaving Certificate examinations begin today, with thousands of students taking on English Paper 1 at 9.30am, as usual (the final exam is applied technology on June 16). It goes without saying that students have been focused on this date for the last couple of years in particular, studying past exam papers, revising exhaustively, and readying themselves for the biggest test of their secondary school careers — it is a momentous occasion. Still, it is also important to maintain perspective when it comes to the Leaving Cert. It's an important milestone but need not be the final word in any student's academic or professional progress. Balancing those messages can be tricky, of course. Placing the appropriate level of significance on the exams must be countered by the acknowledgement that it is a staging post on the journey, rather than a destination unto itself. This balancing act can become more difficult when one encounters breezy humble bragging on social media by celebrities about their own exam travails. Another traditional event at this time of year has nothing to do with the good weather which is expected — it's often believed that the Leaving Cert is accompanied by a burst of sunshine which seems to taunt those in exam halls, though meteorologists would no doubt be unconvinced of the scientific provenance of that assertion. The exams are usually accompanied by a debate on its general efficacy: Whether it is fit for purpose in the 21st century, whether more marks should be awarded for continuous assessment, and whether a series of tests at the end of one's school days are a fair and accurate evaluation of one's knowledge and ability. All of these are valid questions, and it should be acknowledged that the Leaving Cert has changed significantly over the years. One persuasive argument in its favour is that it is a relatively level playing field for students of all backgrounds. This is particularly powerful when considering the widely- held belief that continuous assessment may favour more affluent students. These are matters for another day, however. For today, best wishes to all facing the blank pages at half nine. An athlete of grace The funeral takes place tomorrow morning of Ellen Cassidy, the woman who died after becoming ill at the finish line of the Cork City Marathon last Sunday. Ellen, of Carhoo, Mallow Rd, was one of thousands of participants in the annual race, but she was also an accomplished swimmer. She represented Dolphin Swimming Club, University College Cork (UCC) Swimming Club, and the Munster Regional Squad. She also represented Ireland at the European Youth Olympics in 2015, and was joint chairperson of the UCC Swimming Club; she was involved in organising the Intervarsities Swimming Championship in Cork last year. It was good to see generous tributes being paid to her by many swimming clubs and organisations in recent days. 'Ellen swam through life with grace, strength, and passion,' wrote Dolphin Swimming Club. 'Your smile and your drive will never be forgotten.' Our deepest sympathies go to the Cassidy family and to all of Ellen's friends on her shocking loss. Requiem Mass will be at 11am tomorrow in The Church of the Annunciation, Blackpool. The family has asked that women wear their most colourful outfit for the funeral and bring a flower if they wish.
Irish Examiner
31-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Tuam babies' burial site to be sealed off as mass grave exhumation begins in June
The entire burial site of the Tuam babies will be forensically sealed off and monitored around the clock, as specialist teams prepare for Ireland's first exhumation of a mass grave next month. In an email sent Friday evening to the Tuam Babies Family Group, which includes many relatives of those buried at the site, the Director of the Intervention said his team is 'still on track to begin the excavation of the site in the second half of June' — although a start date has not yet been confirmed. Daniel MacSweeney who was appointed to oversee the exhumation two years ago, explained that 'Once works start, the entire site will be forensically sealed. We will erect 2.4-meter hoarding and put in place 24-hour security monitoring'. He continued 'It is expected that the works on the site may take up to 24 months to complete. 'During this time, the Memorial Garden will not be accessible. If you would like to visit the Memorial Garden, you should try to do so before mid-June.' The exhumation follows 11 years of public pressure after local historian Catherine Corless uncovered the names of 796 children believed to be buried on the grounds of the former mother and baby home. The institution, which primarily housed unmarried mothers, was run by the Bons Secours nuns on behalf of Galway County Council. It operated between 1925 and 1961. After the nuns sold the land and left Tuam, the children who died there were left buried on the property. A test excavation carried out in October 2016 and January 2017 revealed a "significant quantity of human remains" — belonging to babies aged between 35 foetal weeks and 2 to 3 years. Read More Oldest survivor of Tuam mother and baby home to purchase first home after fundraising appeal The remains were found dumped in 18 of 20 chambers of a disused sewage tank. This discovery sparked international outrage and was reported across major global news outlets. Tuam Mother and Baby home survivor Carmel Larkin, aged 70 attends to flowers left at the Virgin Mary shrine as a vigil is held at the Tuam Mother and Baby home mass burial site on August 25, 2019 in Tuam, Ireland. Picture:The intervention has come after more than a decade of campaigning from families of children who died there as well as Ms Corless. Mr MacSweeney told families and survivors: 'I am writing to update you, the people most impacted by the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, about the intervention.' He said this is 'the first step towards restoring dignity in death to those inappropriately buried at the site. We will confirm the exact date very soon.' Family members of the children who died in Tuam as well as survivors will be invited to the first perimeter of the forensically sealed site on July 8. Mr MacSweeney explained that 'additional dates will be added if needs be.' A family liaison officer, Paula Kennedy has been appointed to support families with details for the visits. He continued: 'I also want to let you know that we have begun further engagement with the Tuam Community and in particular the residents near the estate adjoining the Memorial Garden. 'We will host an information evening on 6th June. Most residents have received further information relating to the site works and the Information Evening.' Anna Corrigan, who was at the heart of the original exposure of the Tuam babies' burial scandal alongside Catherine Corless, said: 'It is almost surreal that this is happening. It is a day we thought would never arrive — and now it's happening next month. 'It is a small light at the end of the tunnel, I hope we find all of the children and that the mothers and my own mother included, Bridget Dolan, will be given some form of justice for what was perpetrated on them and the children will have some dignity in death. 'We still have to wait to see what is uncovered and how many children will be found, how many will be identified, or will we be left with lingering questions when this is all over.' Further information can be found on
