Families express 'trepidation' and 'relief' over Tuam mother and baby home exhumation

Catherine Corless said: "It will probably be fairly drawn out over the next two years but we will have to make sure that it’s done as quickly as possible." Photo: Ray Ryan

Families whose babies were buried in unmarked graves at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home in Co. Galway feel a mixture of "trepidation" and "great relief" about the exhumation of the remains of their loved ones, according to historian and campaigner Catherine Corless.

The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes concluded last year that 978 children had died at the Tuam mother and baby home. 80% were less than a year old and 67% did not live past six months. The home operated between 1925 and 1961.