A memorial to those who rest at the site of the former mother and baby home.
By Evan Short
“Significant quantities” of human remains – believed to be babies – have been discovered at the site of a former mother and baby home in Tuam, County Galway.
Excavations were conducted at the site as requested by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.
The excavations took place after allegations about the deaths of 800 babies in Tuam over several decades.
On Friday, March 3, the commission confirmed that it had found significant quantities of human remains.
“One structure appears to be a large sewage containment system or septic tank that had been decommissioned and filled with rubble and debris and then covered with top soil,” the commission said.
“The second structure is a long structure which is divided into twenty chambers. The commission has not yet determined what the purpose of this structure was but it appears to be related to the treatment/containment of sewage and/or waste water.”
It added: “In this second structure, significant quantities of human remains have been discovered in at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined.”
The remains found were from 35 fetal weeks to 2-3 years-of-age.
Katherine Zappone, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, described the news as “sad and disturbing.”
“It was not unexpected as there were claims about human remains on the site over the last number of years,” she said.
“Up to now we had rumors. Now we have confirmation that the remains are there, and that they date back to the time of the Mother and Baby Home, which operated in Tuam from 1925 to 1961.”
Galway County Council is to engage with local residents and other interested parties on what should happen next with the remains.
“Minister Zappone added: “Today is about remembering and respecting the dignity of the children who lived their short lives in this home. We will honor their memory and make sure that we take the right action now to treat their remains appropriately.”
The Catholic Archbishop of Tuam said he is horrified by the discovery.
At Mass on Sunday, Archbishop Michael Neary said his priority was to work with the families of the children who died so that their remains could be given “dignified re-interment” in consecrated ground in the town.
Meanwhile, Minister Simon Coveney said Garda involvement could not be ruled out.
“When you look at the way in which children’s bodies were discarded in the way that they were, seventeen of the twenty chambers had remains in them, it’s hard to see that there wouldn’t be Garda involvement in this case.
“I mean people shouldn’t only talk here about the Bon Secours Sisters, although obviously they have questions to answer, but this was a site that was owned by the State and it’s a site that’s still owned by Galway County Council, so there’s a significant responsibility on the State here, as well as the Bon Secours Sisters.”
