Number of infant remains recovered reaches 77 as excavation continues in Tuam

Further legislation change required

THE number of infant remains taken from the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam has reached 77.

The Office of Director of Authorised Intervention Tuam has confirmed that a further eight infant remains were uncovered in the past two months, all of which were buried in coffins.

So far all of the infants’ remains have been discovered in a site noted on maps as a burial site but which had not been identified as such on the ground. It’s nearly a year since the excavation began on the site on Dublin Road and it will be some time before work begins on the memorial garden area, where a large number of infant and babies’ remains are known to be buried.

Over the years visitors to the Tuam memorial garden have left mementos and notes and these have all been catalogued and placed into storage by the forensic team. The Our Lady statue at the corner of the site remains in place for now but will also be removed at a later date.

A second tent has been erected over the current burial excavation site. Here, hand excavation has shown evidence that there are additional potential graves of child or infant size in that location. So far all of the remains recovered that are linked to the Mother and Baby Home era have been in coffins, with some having two infants per coffin.

The Tuam Mother and Baby Home was located on the site of the old workhouse and some of the bones and artefacts discovered relate to that period. In its latest report, the ODAIT note that some separate or ‘disarticulated’ adult and infant bones, not found associated with burials already recovered, have been discovered. They say it’s not yet known what period of history the bones relate to and that they must await the results of a forensic analysis.

“The recovery of individual skeletal elements is not unexpected in a site of this nature and all human remains recovered are treated with respect and dignity,” stated the ODAIT.

Adult remains have previously been uncovered that were connected to the workhouse and the ODAIT is continuing to liaise with the National Museum in relation to these and other skeletal remains.

Meanwhile, members of the ODAIT team travelled to Americal, the UK and Canada over the past two months to meet and collect samples from families who believe they may have relatives buried at the site in Tuam. The team also met with diaspora organisations to assist in encouraging family members to get in touch with ODAIT to potentially provide a DNA sample.

During April and May an additional 22 samples were collected by the Identification Programme team and these are now with Forensic Science Ireland (FSI). This brings the total number of samples taken to 55.

In April, on foot of updated scientific advice from FSI, the Government signalled its intention to amend the Institutional Burials Act 2022 to include first cousins as eligible family members who can participate in an Identification Programme and provide a DNA sample.

Officials in the Department of Children, Equality and Disability are working with the Office of the Attorney General to draft the necessary amendments, which will then be brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity.

As a result the Tuam team has been in contact with some first cousins and is putting the initial steps in place so that samples may be taken without delay once it is permitted under the legislation. The team will continue to reach out to first cousins as part of this process.

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