Infant remains recovered during Tuam mother and baby home excavation

""In accordance with agreed provisions, ODAIT is cooperating with the National Museum of Ireland, the authority with responsibility for historic human remains, which are outside ODAIT's mandate," the technical update said. ODAIT forensic experts also confirmed that seven sets of human remains were recovered from a location adjacent to where workhouse plans indicated underground vaulted structures. An initial assessment of these remains indicates that these skeletal remains belong to infants, with a full analysis to be carried out in order to estimate age at death."

"ODAIT cannot confirm yet if these remains are from the Workhouse era (1841 to 1918), the military era (1918 to 1925) or the Mother and Baby Institution era (1925 to 1961) as radiocarbon dating and other analysis is being carried out to aid in determining their era of origin. Analysis to determine their era of origin is expected to take at least three months to complete and the results will be published in a technical update once received."

Seven of nine recovered skeletal human remains are initially assessed as infants. Full excavation of the former Mother and Baby Institution began on July 14, 2025, with works estimated to take upwards of 24 months. Five historic skeletal remains consistent with the Workhouse era had been recovered adjacent to the eastern high stone boundary wall; a further two sets were recovered from that area between September 25 and October 29, bringing the total to seven. The remains were found near locations where workhouse plans indicated underground vaulted structures. Radiocarbon dating and other analyses are underway to determine era of origin and are expected to take at least three months. Institutional objects recovered include glass, pottery and metal.

Read at Irish Independent