Excavations have begun at the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in western Ireland, where the remains of around 800 infants and young children have been discovered in an underground sewage structure. This site, which was operated by Catholic nuns until its closure in 1961, is part of a broader network of mother-and-baby homes across Ireland. These institutions, which were often linked to the Catholic Church, housed unmarried pregnant women and orphans during the 20th century. The current excavation is the latest step in uncovering the grim history of these homes.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin expressed deep concern over the situation, acknowledging the difficulty of the process and emphasizing the need to wait for the results of the excavation. The discovery, which includes the remains of children aged between 35 weeks gestation and three years, has been meticulously documented by forensic experts. The remains will be analyzed, preserved, and returned to families if possible, while unidentified remains will be buried after identification.
Historian Catherine Corless first brought attention to this site in 2014, uncovering death certificates for nearly 800 children who died at the home between the 1920s and 1961. However, she found that only one burial record existed, highlighting the lack of transparency surrounding the fate of these children. The current excavation, led by Daniel MacSweeney, aims to provide closure to families and survivors of the institution. The work is expected to take two years to complete, as it involves careful analysis of the remains and a process of identification for those who can be recognized.
The sisters who once ran the home have issued a ‘profound apology,’ acknowledging their failure to protect the women and children who lived there. This sentiment was echoed by Prime Minister Martin in 2021, when he issued a formal state apology following a report that revealed the deaths of nearly 9,000 children in 18 such institutions during the 20th century. The excavation serves both as a historical reckoning and an opportunity to provide closure to families and survivors.