Investigators in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, have uncovered the remains of an additional 22 infants at a former mother and baby home, a site where up to 800 corpses are feared to be buried. The discovery brings the total number of recovered bodies to 99 since the excavation began in July of last year.
The newly found remains were located in coffins in an area designated as a 'burial ground' on the south-western edge of the property. These remains are now being transported to a mortuary and laboratory in Toghermore, Tuam, for examination. Experts will conduct radiology and 3D scanning in an effort to reconstruct details about the infants' lives and deaths, including their age and sex, which may help in identifying them.
Dr. Niamh McCullagh, a Senior Forensic consultant, stated that the high number of remains found early in this specific area suggests further discoveries are likely. "It's significant that we have found what appears to be a burial ground and that the remains are so concentrated in that space, and we expect to find more," she told ITV News.
Of the 99 sets of remains found to date, all were interred in coffins. Sixty-two individuals have provided DNA samples to aid in identification.
The Tuam institution first gained international attention in 2014 when local historian Catherine Corless discovered 796 death certificates for infants and young children who had died at the home, with no corresponding burial records.
This institution was part of a network across Ireland where unmarried pregnant women were sent to give birth during the 20th century, often facing forced separation from their newborns. Death records from the period indicate an average of two babies died weekly at the home, with many deaths attributed to malnutrition and treatable illnesses. The facility, operated by the Bon Secours Sisters on behalf of Galway County Council, was in operation from 1925 until its closure in 1961.