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Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- 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
Irish Post
23-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Post
Families in Britain urged to come forward as Tuam exhumation work begins
THE Office of the Director of Authorised Interventions at Tuam (ODAIT) is set to begin work this summer on exhuming the remains of children who were buried in underground chambers on the grounds of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. These chambers were previously part of a sewage system, and the institution operated from 1925 to 1961. The intervention follows two years of preparation and planning due to the sensitive and complex nature of the work. A shrine and garden at the site of the mass burial plot in Tuam The aim of the intervention is to restore dignity in death and, where possible, to identify those believed to have died while resident in the institution. ODAIT will recover the remains from what has been described by the Commission of Investigation as an inappropriate burial site, and, if identification is possible, offer dignified reburial in accordance with the wishes of family members and survivors. Identification will rely on DNA samples from people who believe they may be related to those buried at the site. ODAIT has stated that this process will be 'challenging due to the young age of the children at death, the elapse of time since their death, the environmental conditions in Tuam and the likely small number of close relatives who can provide samples'. To support this process, the agency is currently appealing for people to come forward who know or suspect they had a relative who died while resident in the Tuam Mother and Baby institution. Initially, ODAIT is prioritising the collection of DNA from elderly and/or vulnerable individuals who may not be in a position to wait for the general phase of the Identification Programme to begin due to concerns about their age or health. Those eligible to provide DNA samples under the legislation include (but may not be limited to): child, parent, sibling, half-sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, half-niece, half-nephew, grandniece or grandnephew. Further information is available at the ODAIT website or by contacting the office at [email protected] or by phone at 00353 1 539 1777. The work at Tuam forms one element of a broader set of measures announced by the Government as part of the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, published in November 2021. Two additional key supports include: Access to birth information, now available under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, which provides a clear right of access to birth certificates and early life records for all those who were adopted, boarded out, nursed out, or affected by illegal birth registration. More details are available at The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, which offers financial payments and enhanced health supports to eligible individuals in recognition of the circumstances they experienced while resident in these institutions. To learn more or apply, visit For those living in Britain who have been affected by the Mother and Baby and County Home system in Ireland, support is available through the following organisations: The National Response Line (London Irish Centre): 0800 519 5519 Coventry Irish Society: 0247 625 6629 Fréa – Renewing Roots: 07432 138 682 If you live in Britain and are affected by any aspects of Mother and Baby and County Homes in the Republic of Ireland you can contact; The National Response line 0800 519 5519; Tuesday to Thursday 10am-4pm (The London Irish Centre), 0247 625 6629 (Coventry Irish Society) or 07432 138 68 See More: Exhumation, Galway, Irealnd, Mother And Baby Homes, Tuam
