796 Dead Babies Expected To Be Found At Home Run By Nuns

Authorities in Ireland have begun a full excavation at the site of a former mother-and-baby home in Tuam, County Galway, where the remains of up to 796 infants are believed to lie in a mass grave.

Run by the Bon Secours Sisters from 1925 to 1961, the institution housed unmarried mothers who faced forced labor, abuse, and the loss of their children—often adopted out without consent. The site’s dark history came to light thanks to local historian Catherine Corless, whose research revealed hundreds of undocumented child deaths.

The investigation, expected to take two years, follows years of silence and only one formal apology in 2021. Survivors and families now hope for justice, identification, and dignified reburials.

For many, like Annette McKay—whose infant sister may lie among the remains—the dig is both a painful reminder and a chance for long-overdue closure.