The excavation of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home comes “too late” for some families, an alliance representing survivors has said. 

Between 1925 and 1961, the County Galway home was run by Bon Secours Sisters, looking after young, mostly unmarried, mothers and their young children. 

11 years ago, local historian Catherine Corless shocked Ireland and the world when she revealed that 796 children had died at the home, many of whom were buried in a disused sewage system. 

In 2017, an investigation confirmed there were "significant quantities of human remains" buried within the grounds of the home. 

Today, the excavation of the site begins - something survivors have been calling for for many years. 

“It has been a long time coming when you think that we are waiting 11 years,” PRO Brenda Murphy told Newstalk Breakfast.  

“I thought in 2016, 2017 when Dr Niamh McCullagh entered the site, conducted test excavations. 

“We remember Minister Zappone standing and saying she was immensely shocked to discover that the remains found were from the year of the home, around 1950. 

“Then that propelled them to do further investigation but what I expected at that stage - and what Dr Niamh McCullough expected - was that within a six month period the site would again be investigated. 

“So, we’re way down the line on that, we’re eight years on.” 

The excavation site in Tuam. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Although planning for the excavation has been many years in the making, the excavation team are unsure what they will find as they begin their work. 

“When we met with the team on site on Tuesday, that was very much what they were telling us,” Ms Murphy explained.  

“They’re not raising expectations to find remains within the first few days or anything like that. 

“Indeed, they go in today with a digger that will manipulate the site… Then the archaeologists will go in with their tools. 

“We do not know how the site was constructed in the 1970s. 

“But we do know for the memorial garden - which will be the final area to be excavated - we do know that’s where the structures are of the mass graves of children.” 

A message left at the site of a mass grave for children who died in the Tuam Mother and Baby Home. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Whatever the excavation team finds, Ms Murphy said it comes “too late” for many people whose loved ones died in the home. 

“We’ve lost many people in the 11 years who have looked for children,” she said. 

“They’ve only taken samples for DNA matches for 14 and they 80 people lined up to take [samples] within the next while.

“There are 796 children.”

The Sisters of Bon Secours Ireland has donated €2.5 million towards the cost of the excavation of the site. 

Main image: Excavation workers in Tuam on 7th July 2025. Picture by: Alamy.com.