A second burial site, believed to contain the remains of nearly 800 infants, has been discovered at a former maternity home for unwed mothers in Ireland, run by Catholic nuns. The Office of the Director of Authorized Intervention in Tuam (ODAIT), an independent body, initiated the excavation this summer and found “consistent evidence” of a second burial ground at the former mother and baby home in Tuam.
Prior to the excavation, there were no visible signs or indications of a potential burial site at this location, according to a statement from the group. The second burial area is estimated to be between 55 and 105 yards from a septic tank, where the bodies of 796 infants born to unwed mothers are believed to have been discarded, as reported by Daniel MacSweeney, the director of ODAIT, to Irish broadcaster RTE.
Since the excavation began in July, the remains of 11 infants have been unearthed at the site, located approximately 120 miles from Dublin in County Galway. The remains, found in coffins, have been sent for forensic analysis. To date, 160 individuals have reached out to ODAIT to offer DNA samples, which could assist in identifying the deceased infants. MacSweeney has urged other potential relatives to come forward.
The maternity home, known locally in Tuam as The Home, was one of many such institutions where pregnant teenagers and unmarried women were sent to give birth in secrecy throughout the 20th century. The newborns were often separated from their mothers and raised by nuns until they were adopted without the mother’s consent. Some of these children were sent as far as the US, Canada, or Australia, while hundreds of others perished.
The mothers were typically interned for a year to perform unpaid work in the home. It is believed that 798 children died at the home in Tuam between 1925 and its closure in 1961. According to research by local historian Catherine Corless in 2014, only two infants were buried in a nearby cemetery.
In 2015, the Irish government launched an investigation into 14 mother and baby homes and four county homes across Ireland, including Tuam. The inquiry revealed “significant quantities” of human remains at the Tuam site and evidence of a shocking level of infant mortality in these institutions nationwide. This led to a formal government apology in 2021, a redress scheme, and an apology from the Sisters of Bon Secours, the nuns who operated the homes. The forensic work at the site is expected to continue for another two years.