THE full forensic excavation of the site of a former mother and baby home in Co. Galway has now begun.
Preparation works began at the site in Tuam last month.
Forensic excavation work is now underway at the site in Tuam, Co. GalwayUp to 800 children are beieved to have been buried in a septic tank at the site while it was in operation under the Bon Secours sisters from 1925 to 1961.
The excavation, which will exhume the remains of all those buried there, is being led by the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT).
Last week families of those connected to the site were invited to view the works so far.
Yesterday the actual excavation began, with ground officially broken at the site at 10.38am on July 14.
The site will now be entirely closed off to the public and concealed from view for the 24 months the excavation is expected to take.
There is 24-hour security in place and a 2.4-metre hoarding erected around the perimeter of the site.
A 2.4m hoarding has been installed around the site“These measures are necessary to ensure the site’s forensic integrity and to enable us to carry out the works to the highest international standards that govern the excavation and recovery programme,” Daniel MacSweeney, who leads the ODAIT, said.
Dr Niamh McCullagh, ODAIT’s Senior Forensic Consultant, is leading the forensic excavation alongside other Irish specialists and international experts from Colombia, Spain, UK, Canada, Australia and the US.
“ODAIT’s multidisciplinary forensic approach to the complex challenge of the excavation is grounded in the expertise of forensic archaeologists, osteoarchaeologists, forensic anthropologists together with experts in crime scene management including evidence management and forensic photography,” a spokesperson for the organisation confirmed.
See More: Galway, Mother And Baby Home, Tuam
