Troubled Ground - Episode 1: The first ever mass grave exhumation gets underway

Irish Examiner podcast explores how local research into a hidden burial site sparked international outrage and official action

Troubled Ground is a two part Irish Examiner podcast that explores the historic exhumation of a mass grave at the site of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway.

Troubled Ground is a two-part podcast that explores the historic exhumation of a mass grave at the site of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway, involving the remains of 796 infants and children.

In Episode 1, reporter Alison O’Reilly meets local historian Catherine Corless, who first uncovered the existence of the burial site and whose research ultimately led to the excavation. Forensic experts describe the painstaking process of examining the site in search of lost remains.

The episode revisits the origins of the Tuam Babies story, beginning in 2014 with Catherine Corless’s research into the deaths of hundreds of children at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home. Anna Corrigan shares the devastating discovery that her mother had two sons who died in the home.

Despite initial indifference from the media, the story gained traction on the global stage.

As international attention mounted, political leaders were compelled to respond, including the Taoiseach of the day, Enda Kenny. The episode captures how a local investigation into a burial ground for forgotten children led to the first mass grave exhumation of its kind in Ireland.

 

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