In March 2017, the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation confirmed the discovery of juvenile human remains, in significant quantities, in subsurface chambers on the site of historic sewage system at the former Mother and Baby Institution, Tuam, Co. Galway.
Map 1 - Last Edition 6 Inch - CYAL50423428 © Tailte Éireann
The Expert Technical Group (ETG) said that “there are a number of factors that make this situation unique:
- The forensic requirement of the site.
- The ‘significant’ quantities of juvenile remains.
- The commingled or intermixed state of the remains.
- The position of the remains within subsurface chambers, with limited access.
These factors each need to be considered in terms of what is feasible at this site, as well as what outcomes can be reasonably expected. Such complexities cannot be understated, and the outcomes may be more limited than expected.”
Taking into account these difficulties, ODAIT will conduct an excavation of the entire site (much larger than the subsurface chambered tanks) and recover any human remains and physical evidence located from the timeframe of the Tuam Mother and Baby Institution (1925-1961) using forensic archaeological principles and methodologies.
We know that there are human remains from the timeframe of the Tuam Mother and Baby Institution in the subsurface chambered tanks located in the Memorial Garden. Various sources of information indicate that there may be human remains in other parts of the site. These sources include a survey of the site using Ground Penetrating Radar and information contained in various historical maps, documents and witness statements.
Update:
• Following a tender process for the civil engineering and construction elements of the Site Excavation, a successful supplier was appointed in September 2024.
• In March 2024, ODAIT received a Preliminary Engineering Report to support Archaeological Excavations.
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