“There are so many babies, children just discarded here,” said Catherine Corless, whose research exposed the scandal.
Excavation will begin next month at the site of a former mother-and-baby home in Tuam, Ireland, where 796 children are believed to have been buried in a disused septic tank. The institution, run by Bon Secours nuns between 1925 and 1961, became the focus of national outrage after local historian Catherine Corless uncovered death records with no burial records.
“There are so many babies, children just discarded here,” Corless told AFP.
Her findings prompted a government investigation, which revealed high infant mortality and widespread mistreatment in such homes across Ireland. A 2021 report found 9,000 children died in 18 homes over 76 years.
Work at the Tuam site, approved under a 2022 law, will aim to recover, identify, and re-bury remains.
“It’s been a fierce battle,” Corless said. “I was just begging: take the babies out of this sewage system.”
Relatives like Anna Corrigan hope DNA testing can provide long-overdue answers. “It’s justice, Irish-style,” she said.