Friday, 6th February 2026
Technical Update from the forensic excavation at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway
Reporting period: 29th November 2025 to 28th January 2026
(site was closed from Friday 19th December 2025 to Monday 5th January 2026)
Forensic excavation of the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam continues. In the photo below, all areas that have been excavated are outlined in colour and all areas that are forensically resolved are hatched. In this reporting period, excavation has focused on two locations outlined in the photo below:
Blue outline: Machine excavation continued in the site of the former workhouse yard.
Red outline (part under white tent): Hand excavation continued under a temporary tent erected during the previous reporting period.
The excavation continues to uncover, recover and identify materials from four main eras (see below) in the site’s history:
- Post-institutional: 1961 onwards.
- Institutional (the era of the Mother and Baby Institution): 1925 to 1961.
- Military: 1918 to 1925.
- Workhouse: 1841 to 1918.
Notable evidence recovered during the reporting period 29th November 2025 to 28th January 2026, per area:
Structures
Blue outline: In the former yard area, the entire area is now forensically resolved (shown hatched in above image) apart from the well shaft and connected drains where work continues. Please see photo of well shaft below.
Red outline (part under white tent): Hand excavation continued under the cover of the tent (see photo below). As outlined in the previous Technical Update, this area was identified in historical documents as a “burial ground”1. The recovered evidence from this area is consistent with it being a burial ground from the time of the operation of the Mother and Baby Institution.
Within this area, ODAIT also uncovered a pit (over 3 metres in width; depth will be determined on excavation) which disturbed the “burial ground”. It contains modern building debris consistent with the post-institutional era. Excavation in the next reporting period will provide more information about this feature.
Human remains
An additional 22 sets of human remains were recovered from under the white tent during this reporting period, bringing the total number from within the red outline to 33. To date, all remains recovered from this area are of infants that were buried in coffins. Forensic analysis is underway.
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating tests have confirmed that the human remains submitted for testing to date are from the premodern era (before 1955). When the radiocarbon dating test results are considered alongside the results of the excavation, evidence collected and human remains recovered, it is ODAIT’s opinion that:
- The 33 sets of infant human remains recovered to date from the red outline area were buried during the period of operation of the Mother and Baby Institution Tuam (1925-61).
- The seven sets of human remains from the area adjacent to the boundary wall (see Second and Third Technical Updates) at the south of the site (green outline) were buried during the Workhouse era.
Material evidence
The excavation continues to recover material and objects from the four phases of the site’s history. All evidence recovered is being photographed, catalogued and retained by ODAIT in a dignified and respectful manner consistent with international standards and best practice.
Objects recovered from the period of the institution include the glass baby feeder pictured below.
Partial replica of the subsurface multi-chambered tank
The excavation of the comingled infant remains identified during the 2016/2017 excavations in the subsurface concrete chambers on the site of a historic sewage system in the Memorial Garden presents ODAIT with a unique combination of forensic and engineering challenges. To test varying methodologies and ensure adherence to international standards and best practice, ODAIT is constructing an above ground replica of a section of this tank. The location of the partially built replica is circled in yellow in the site photo above, with a photograph of it below.
Identification Programme
During the reporting period, eight more family reference DNA samples have been taken and delivered to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI), bringing the total to 28.
In accordance with the provisions set out in the legislation, ODAIT’s ID Programme team is engaging with a further 175 people who have contacted ODAIT to enquire about providing a DNA sample. To date, over 65 cases are being processed for determination of eligibility with arrangements being made to take their samples in the coming weeks.
If you are interested in providing a DNA sample, please see www.odait.ie, email info@dait.ie or call +353 (0)1 539 177.
The excavation continues.
About the ODAIT Forensic Excavation
Excavation at the site of the former Tuam Mother and Baby Institution is being conducted by the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam under the Institutional Burials Act 2022.
In its day-to-day work, the ODAIT Forensic Excavation Team on site is led by the site co-ordinator. The team includes forensic archaeologists, osteoarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists, as well as a forensic evidence manager and a forensic photographer. They are supported by a main contractor who has supplied a team of construction professionals including skilled machine operators.
Forensic excavation commenced on 14th July 2025. This report covers weeks 20 to 28 of the forensic excavation works on site, covering progress up until close of business (COB) on 28th January 2026.
ODAIT will provide updates first to families and survivors and to the media and wider public on a bi-monthly basis.
The next technical update will issue in early April 2026.
Photos
- Referenced by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation (MBHCOI), see paras. 8.11 to 8.50, Fifth Interim Report, MBHCOI, 2019, and reproduced (table 1.2 of Appendix A of Fifth Interim Report, MBHCOI, 2019). ↩︎
