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Irish Examiner
14-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Last surviving mother from Tuam home hopes to find her son as mass grave exhumation begins
The only surviving mother of the Tuam mother and bay home has said she "hopes my missing son is found" as the country's first ever mass grave exhumation begins. Specialist forensics are tasked with opening the 5,000sq m of ground in the centre of the Dublin Road housing estate in the Galway town. Experts from all over the world have been appointed by the Tuam intervention director Daniel MacSweeney, whose office is tasked with the recovery of 796 children who died in the former mother and baby home between 1925 and 1961. Chrissie Tully from Loughrea has tried to find the burial records for her son who died on December 13, 1949. She is the only mother alive who was in the Tuam mother and baby home, once in 1949 and again in 1955. 'Both of my sons were taken from me,' she said. 'Michael died, I was told, but I never saw him. Christopher was adopted without my knowledge, and he is now called Patrick, and we are very close. He found me years ago. My son has to be somewhere. Please God, they find him and the other children. There are no burial records for Chrissie's son Michael in Galway County council, nor are there records for him in the adjoining Bohermore cemetery. The Irish Examiner has learned that Chrissie Tully's son Michael was one of 80 children admitted to the former Galway central hospital from the Tuam home. Those 80 children are not included in the list of 796 babies and infants who died in the Tuam home which was uncovered by local historian Catherine Corless during her research on the home. Records from the commission of inquiry also show a further eight children from the home died in other hospitals while 80 others died in Glenamaddy, a facility that predated the one in Tuam. There are also a further six children who died in Tuam that are not included in the 796-death list, bringing the total death lost at Tuam to 802. The investigation by the commission of inquiry estimated that a combined total of almost 1,000 deaths occurred in relation to the Tuam home. There is only one record from Galway hospital for Michael Tully which was secured by his mother under the Freedom of Information Act that states the child died following a "complex breech delivery" and the same record states "return to the Tuam home". Ms Tully said she will join the Tuam Babies Family Group who will light a candle for the children in their homes as the exhumation begins. I pray for him every day and Ill have my candle lit. Anna Corrigan, whose two brothers are in the grave, said she will be in Tuam for the breaking of the ground. 'I wrote to (children's) minister Norma Foley, the Taoiseach, and the President to invite them to the site last week when family were there and none of them attended. 'Then we learned that minister Foley went to the site last week herself, she could have at least taken the time to meet the families.' In a statement a department of children spokesperson said: 'The minister visited the site this week and met with the director and the specialist team in advance of this key stage of work commencing. "The Minister wishes to thank the director and the team for their ongoing professionalism and expertise as they continue with this important work.' Read More Alison O'Reilly: It took a global spotlight for many to accept hundreds of babies are buried in a septic tank in Tuam
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
