Renata Steffens
A memorial is seen July 7, 2025, at the graveyard in Tuam, Ireland, where the bodies of 796 babies were uncovered at the site of a former mother-and-baby home run on behalf of the Irish government by the Catholic Sisters of Bon Secours. (OSV News/Clodagh Kilcoyne, Reuters) “An additional 36 infant remains have been recovered [from the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway] since the last technical update”, according to a new report, as forensic excavation of the site continues.
The ‘Technical Update 6’, reporting findings from January 29 to March 31 and released on April 10, said the “Results of excavation indicate that these infants were buried in coffins which have since decayed. The evidence indicates that the majority of coffins were single shouldered with mounts and had been painted white. In a small number of instances, two or three individuals were buried in the same coffin.”
Within the area where manual excavations are being carried out, a large area of over 3 metres in width has been identified, and evidence indicates “that some burials were disturbed in the creation of this feature through the use of a mechanical digger… This feature was then backfilled with sand, gravel and building debris.” Examination of available aerial photography indicated this disturbance happened after 1977; “however, further excavation will assist in establishing a more accurate timeframe for this event.”