In a haunting revelation of Ireland’s troubled past, June 16, 2025, marked the beginning of a forensic excavation at the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway. Authorities are preparing to recover the remains of 796 infants and toddlers—born to unmarried mothers—who were buried in a disused septic tank on the site between 1925 and 1961. This scandal first emerged in 2014, when local historian Catherine Corless meticulously combed through death certificates and church records. She discovered that exactly 796 children had died at the institution, yet only two are documented in official burial registers—an alarming discrepancy that hinted at mass graves beneath the property.

Test excavations in 2017 confirmed Corless’s grim hypothesis: skeletal remains were indeed found inside an underground sewage container. Initial examination revealed that these were children ranging from 35 weeks gestation up to around three years old, with death commonly attributed to infectious illnesses like gastroenteritis, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, meningitis, diphtheria, and premature birth. For decades, this eerie site—located beneath an apartment complex today—was shrouded in secrecy. Two local boys even discovered partial remains under a concrete slab in 1975.

However, Corless's lone, self‑funded research shattered decades of silence. Initially dismissed by authorities and the Church alike, her relentless determination eventually prompted Ireland's first national inquiry into "mother and baby homes" and led to a formal apology from the government in 2021. On June 16, 2025, preliminary work including security fencing and site preparation commenced under the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT). This four‑week pre‑excavation phase precedes the anticipated two‑year forensic operation to recover, analyse, and, where possible, identify remains, before arranging dignified reburial.

Officials emphasise a sensitive, respectful approach: 24/7 monitoring is being employed to preserve forensic integrity, while DNA sampling and family notifications are core priorities. Survivor and family groups, including relatives of children like Mary Margaret—who died six months after birth—have welcomed the initiative. For them, it offers a long‑awaited path to closure. Irish politicians and church representatives, including Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin spokesperson Claire Kerrane, have expressed strong support, acknowledging the nation’s responsibility to confront and reconcile with this painful chapter. This excavation marks more than a historical investigation—it’s a vital step toward restorative justice. As historian Corless remarked, the real work—honouring the stories of these children—has only just begun.