Work begins to excavate burial site of babies at Tuam mother and baby home

The plan to recover the children's remains in the former Bons Secours home for mostly unmarried mothers in Tuam comes under the Burial Act, which allows for the entire site in the middle of the Dublin Road housing estate to be excavated. File photo: Padraig O'Reilly

Preliminary works have started at the site where hundreds of babies are believed to be buried in Tuam, Co Galway.

The works, which are in preparation for a full excavation due to start early next year, began on Monday.

It marks the start of a long-awaited process to retrieve the remains of 796 children who died in the former Bons Secours home for mostly unmarried mothers in Tuam. The religious-run institution operated between 1925 and 1961.

The plan to recover the children's remains comes under the Burial Act, which allows for the entire site in the middle of the Dublin Road housing estate to be excavated.

Director of Authorised Intervention Tuam, Daniel MacSweeney, confirmed to the Irish Examiner that “preliminary ground work at the site” began on Monday.

“We have started this work, [it] is in the main area where the playground, memorial garden, front of garden, and car park are,” he said. “People will be familiar with that site".

“We have also reviewed some of the back gardens in the housing estate surrounding the area.

“The works are being broken down into three phases, the ground penetrating works, the topographical works and surveys of the conditions of the back walls, sheds and gardens.

“Next Monday to Wednesday we will begin the test trenches. All the results and findings will feed into the planning process for specification and design for the main excavation next year”.

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Mr MacSweeney said the families, survivors and community of Tuam have been kept informed throughout the process.

“We have appointed Denise Houlihan as community liaison, and she has knocked on every door, around the site developing relationships,” he said.

“We have been given consent to work on the back gardens and it is important to keep that conversation open. It is a very complex process; all of the preparation work is ahead of the actual excavation next year.”

DNA analysis

A collection of DNA samples of survivors and mothers who gave birth is also underway. The works will be carried out in “a meticulous fashion” and “the highest international standards,” according to Mr MacSweeney.

His office has already recruited a number of specialists who have expertise in the recovery and analysis of human remains.

Anna Corrigan whose two brothers John and William are believed to be buried at the site said she “welcomes the news”.

“It has been a long wait, but it is very important to see this work finally begin. All we want is to bring our siblings and children home”.

A website has now been set up to allow the public to follow the progress in Tuam www.odait.ie