Excavation has commenced at the mass burial site linked too the former mother and baby institution in tuam, County Galway, in the Republic of Ireland. The work aims to recover and respectfully bury the remains of babies and children who died at the institution.

In 2016, investigators discovered what they described as “meaningful quantities of human remains” in underground chambers at the site. Tests confirmed that these remains belonged to babies and children up to three years of age. The institution, run by the Bon Secours Sisters, an order of Catholic nuns, closed in 1961.It housed unmarried mothers and their children during a time when Irish society largely ostracized women who became pregnant outside of marriage.

The Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention (ODAIT),an independant body established under the Irish Institutional Burials Act 2022,is overseeing the excavation. Their objective is to “recover and forensically analyze,and to memorialise and bury with respect and dignity,human remains recovered from the site.”

Family members and survivors will soon have the opportunity to view the perimeter of the “forensically controlled site” to observe the ongoing work.According to Daniel MacSweeney from ODAIT, since the start of the work, “the entire site, including the memorial garden, would only be accessible to staff carrying out the works. There will be 24-hour security monitoring.”

initial Phase and Long-Term Plans

“The work is expected to take approximately 24 months to complete,”

The initial phase, lasting four weeks, involves setting up the site, including the installation of 2.4-meter hoarding around the perimeter. “These measures are necessary to ensure the site’s forensic integrity and to enable us to carry out the works to the highest international standards that govern the excavation and recovery program,” said Mr. MacSweeney.

Mr. MacSweeney added that it was a “unique and incredibly complex excavation.” He noted that “The final timetable will depend on many variables, some of which may only become fully clear as the work progresses.”

The revelations about the burial ground gained international attention after local historian Catherine Corless discovered death certificates for 796 children and infants with no corresponding burial records. The Irish government subsequently established a Commission of Investigation into the network of historic mother-and-baby institutions in the country. The commission found that the chambered structure containing the children’s remains at Tuam was located in a disused sewage tank.

The excavation represents another step in uncovering a troubling chapter of Irish social history.