Catherine Corless and Neeson on Late Late Show
Lost Children of Tuam for release next weekend
LOCAL researcher and campaigner Catherine Corless from Brownsgrove, Tuam, appeared alongside Irish actor Liam Neeson on The Late Late Show last night (Friday) ahead of the release of the film The Lost Children of Tuam.
The film based on Catherine’s research into the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, will hit Irish cinemas on September 25.
The film, produced by Liam Neeson, premiered at a sold-out screening at the Galway Film Fleadh this summer where it also scooped the Best Irish Film award.
It had its International Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last week and will be released in UK cinemas on October 9.
Directed by Frank Berry and stars award-winning actress Monica Dolan as Catherine Corless along with Andrew Bennett and Ian McElhinney. Some of the scenes were filmed in Tuam last year.
The film tells the story of how Catherine’s research into the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home came about and is based on an article in the New York Times written by Dan Barry.
Excavation continues
It follows Catherine’s research for the article she wrote for the Old Tuam Society Journal and how it progressed to her questioning how there were death records for 796 babies and infants who died at the home, but no matching burial records could be found. Her research discovered that large numbers of the infants were buried at the site of the former home on the Dublin Road in Tuam.
The local historian’s determination and persistent quest for answers regarding what happened to the babies led to the establishment of a Commission of Investigation into the Mother and Baby Home in Tuam.
The discovery began a campaign for justice for both victims and survivors of the home and hundreds of former residents of the home and relatives of mothers and babies who spent time there have contacted Catherine over the past decade.
A forensic excavation and investigation at the Tuam site began just over a year ago and to date a total of 99 remains relating to the home have been discovered, all in coffins, although some coffins contained the remains of two infants.