A second burial site has been discovered at a former Irish home for unwed mothers run by Catholic nuns, where nearly 800 babies are believed to be buried.
Earlier this year, forensic teams began excavating the former “mother and baby home” in Tuam, Ireland, after reports that 798 children died there between 1925 and 1961. New findings show “consistent evidence” of another graveyard about 55–105 yards from the septic tank where hundreds of infants were thought to have been discarded.
Remains found in coffins have been sent for forensic analysis, and over 160 people have offered DNA samples to help identify the children.
Historian Catherine Corless first uncovered the names of the 798 infants and revealed that only two were officially buried, while the rest were likely placed in a mass grave known as “the pit.”
At the home, unmarried mothers were separated from their babies, many of whom were later adopted overseas without consent. Hundreds of others died.
The Irish government launched an investigation in 2015 into mother and baby homes, including Tuam. The Catholic order that ran the facility, the Sisters of Bon Secours, has issued a “profound apology.” Corless continues to seek justice for the children, saying she still cannot comprehend the cruelty they suffered.