Second Infant Burial Area Discovered During Tuam Mother and Baby Home Excavation

Second Infant Burial Area Discovered at Tuam Mother and Baby Home

Forensic teams have uncovered evidence of a second infant burial area at the former Tuam Mother and Baby home in County Galway, Ireland, officials said. The finding — described by investigators as a "significant" development — comes as an independent excavation of the site continues.

Background: Local historian Catherine Corless first drew attention to the Tuam site in 2014, reporting that 796 children who died at the institution between the 1920s and 1960s had no individual burial records and appeared to have been placed in a decommissioned sewage tank. The institution was run by the Bon Secours Sisters.

The current excavation, which began this summer under the oversight of the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention in Tuam (ODAIT), has recovered remains and identified a separate burial location roughly 50 to 100 metres from the known septic tank site.

‘‘There were no surface or ground-level indications of the possibility of a burial ground at this location prior to excavation,’’ ODAIT said in an update.

Since work started in July, investigators have recovered the remains of 11 infants, including four found last month. Those remains have been placed in coffins and forwarded for forensic analysis. ODAIT director Daniel MacSweeney told national broadcaster RTE that about 160 people have contacted the office offering DNA to assist identification; families are being urged to come forward.

Wider context: The Tuam home was one of many mother-and-baby institutions in Ireland where unmarried pregnant women were sent to give birth in secrecy during much of the 20th century. Women were often separated from their children; some infants were rehomed domestically or abroad, while hundreds died and their remains were improperly disposed of, frequently without mothers being told the truth.

An official investigation launched in 2015 into 14 mother-and-baby homes and four county homes found "significant quantities" of human remains at Tuam and an "appalling level of infant mortality." The inquiry concluded the state failed to raise alarm despite knowledge of the conditions. That report led to a formal government apology in 2021, a redress scheme and an apology from the Bon Secours Sisters.

Advocates, survivors and families are calling for full, independent examinations of other institutions. Forensic work at Tuam is expected to continue for up to two years as investigators document and analyse remains and site features.

Editor’s note: If you have information relevant to this investigation, contact ODAIT (Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention in Tuam).