THE REMAINS of a further 36 children have been discovered at the site of a former mother and baby home in Co. Galway.
It brings to 69 the number of infant remains discovered during the ongoing excavation of the site in Tuam, which was operated as a home by the Catholic order, the Bon Secours Sisters, from 1925 until 1961.
Work at the site began last year, more than a decade after local historian Catherine Corless discovered death certificates for 796 children who had been born at the home.
However, no burial records could be found for the infants, many of whom are believed to be buried in a former septic tank at the site.
Children buried in same coffin
On Friday, the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT) issued an update on the forensic excavation of the site for the period from January 29 to March 31.
"An additional 36 infant remains have been recovered since the last technical update," it said.
"This brings the total number of infant remains recovered from this location to date to 69.
"Results of excavation indicate that these infants were buried in coffins which have since decayed.
"The evidence indicates that the majority of coffins were single shouldered with mounts and had been painted white.
"In a small number of instances, two or three individuals were buried in the same coffin."
Before the latest update, the remains of 33 infants had been found at the site since excavation work got underway in July 2025.
ODAIT said evidence from the area where the 69 sets of infant remains were found indicates it was used as a burial ground during the period when the site served as a mother and baby home.
The Bon Secours order has previously apologised for how the home was operated, saying it 'failed to respect the inherent dignity of the women and children who came to the home'.
Seven other sets of human remains found in a different area of the site since excavation work began are believed to date from the period when the site was used as a workhouse between 1848 and 1918.
DNA appeal
ODAIT added that it is continuing to engage with people who have come forward to provide DNA samples, with a public information campaign set to launch in the coming months.
So far, 33 family DNA samples have been taken and delivered to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI), with ODAIT set to take more samples over the coming weeks in Ireland, Britain and the US.
The office has encouraged anyone who believes they may have a family member buried at the site to contact their team on +353 (0)1 539 1777 or by emailing [email protected].
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See More: Bon Secours, ODAIT, Tuam Babies
