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Tragic new discovery at 'baby graveyard' where 796 infants were believed to be dumped in a septic tank
A tragic new discovery has been uncovered at the 'baby graveyard' in Ireland where 796 infants are believed to have been dumped in a septic tank.
The 'graveyard' was found at the site of a former mother and baby institution in County Galway, which was in operation from 1925 to 1961.
An excavation of the site has been underway since July 2025 and concluded last month.
But not before one final, chilling discovery was made.
More bodies found in excavation of 'baby graveyard'
10 new bodies have been found by authorities, now bringing the total of infant remains found at the site to 109.
The 10 remains were found on the south-west perimeter of the site. All of the 109 bodies now recovered were placed in coffins.
The dig was carried out by ODAIT (Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam) and part of their work is now turning towards recovering DNA samples from the infant bodies to help identify the remains.
ODAIT has said that, so far, it has managed to collect 12 samples from the dig, bringing the total number of samples gathered to 74. Due to the great amount of time that has passed this the institution was running, legislation is being sought in Ireland to help first cousins gain access to these samples, rather than direct descendants.
Throughout the dig, the ODAIT team has continued to find historical artefacts too, such as buttons and a metal window latch.
How was the 'baby graveyard' in Ireland found?
The story goes back more than a decade. In 2014, a local historian, Catherine Corless, uncovered previously lost documentation from the institution; namely, 796 death certificates for children and babies there, yet no burial records could be found.
In 2017, a partial excavation of the memorial garden on the site uncovered "significant quantities" of remains places in underground chambers.
A full excavation of the site around the memorial garden, however, is yet to take place.
The mother and baby institute in Tuam was previously owned Galway County Council and run by a religious order, the Bon Secours Sisters.
Children who stayed at the institution have spoken out about the horrible conditions they were met with there, recalling it a prison where "home children" were isolated.
Enda Kenny, the former Prime Minister of Ireland has described the findings as "a chamber of horrors."
Further forensic work on the site is expected to continue into 2027 and possibly beyond.