Latest news with #DanielMacSweeney
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Grim excavation begins at site believed to contain remains of around 800 babies
Irish officials have begun excavating the grounds of a former home for unwed mothers which authorities say contains the remains of around 800 babies and young children who died there. "It's a very, very difficult, harrowing story and situation," Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Monday. "We have to wait to see what unfolds now as a result of the excavation." Mysterious 'Dumped' Bodies Of Woman And Child Found By Archaeologists In Picturesque Town The former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in western Ireland — which closed in 1961 and was run by Catholic nuns — was one of many mother-and-baby homes during the 20th century in the European country. The homes housed unmarried pregnant women as well as tens of thousands of orphans, according to The Associated Press. Historian Catherine Corless tracked down death certificates in 2014 for nearly 800 children who died at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home between the 1920s and 1961. However, she could only find a burial record for one child, the AP reported. Archaeologists Make Grim Discovery After Finding Ancient Roman Buildings Read On The Fox News App A mass grave was later discovered by investigators in an underground sewage structure at the home. DNA analysis found the structure contained the remains of infants and young children between the ages of 35 weeks gestation and 3 years old, according to the AP. Family members and survivors will soon have the opportunity to view the works, according to Daniel MacSweeney, who is leading the exhumation of the infant remains. "This is a unique and incredibly complex excavation," MacSweeney said in a statement. Archaeologists Unexpectedly Uncover Hundreds Of Skeletons, Medieval Church Beneath University Campus Any remains recovered from the site will be analyzed and preserved by forensic experts. Identified remains will be returned to family members, while unidentified remains will be buried. The work is expected to take two years to complete, the AP reported. The sisters who ran the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home previously offered a "profound apology," acknowledging they failed to protect the dignity of the women and children that lived there, according to the AP. In 2021, Prime Minister Martin issued a former state apology after a report found that 9,000 children died in 18 mother-and-baby homes during the 20th century in Ireland. Daniel MacSweeney and Ireland's National Police and Security Service, An Garda Síochána, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Grim excavation begins at site believed to contain remains of around 800 babies
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Grim excavation begins at site believed to contain remains of around 800 babies
Irish officials have begun excavating the grounds of a former home for unwed mothers which authorities say contains the remains of around 800 babies and young children who died there. "It's a very, very difficult, harrowing story and situation," Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Monday. "We have to wait to see what unfolds now as a result of the excavation." The former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in western Ireland — which closed in 1961 and was run by Catholic nuns — was one of many mother-and-baby homes during the 20th century in the European country. The homes housed unmarried pregnant women as well as tens of thousands of orphans, according to The Associated Press. Historian Catherine Corless tracked down death certificates in 2014 for nearly 800 children who died at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home between the 1920s and 1961. However, she could only find a burial record for one child, the AP reported. A mass grave was later discovered by investigators in an underground sewage structure at the home. DNA analysis found the structure contained the remains of infants and young children between the ages of 35 weeks gestation and 3 years old, according to the AP. Family members and survivors will soon have the opportunity to view the works, according to Daniel MacSweeney, who is leading the exhumation of the infant remains. "This is a unique and incredibly complex excavation," MacSweeney said in a statement. Any remains recovered from the site will be analyzed and preserved by forensic experts. Identified remains will be returned to family members, while unidentified remains will be buried. The work is expected to take two years to complete, the AP reported. The sisters who ran the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home previously offered a "profound apology," acknowledging they failed to protect the dignity of the women and children that lived there, according to the AP. In 2021, Prime Minister Martin issued a former state apology after a report found that 9,000 children died in 18 mother-and-baby homes during the 20th century in Ireland. Daniel MacSweeney and Ireland's National Police and Security Service, An Garda Síochána, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Ireland: Remains of 800 infants expected to be found in former home for unmarried mothers
The remains of nearly 800 infants and young children are expected to be found in a former church-run home for unmarried women, as excavation work began in Ireland earlier this week. The long-awaited excavation at the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, in western Ireland, will shed light on the history of abuses in church-led institutions in the country. The home was run by an order of Catholic nuns. It closed in 1961. It was one of many such institutions that housed tens of thousands of orphans and unmarried pregnant women who were forced to give up their children throughout much of the 20th century, reported AP. In 2014, historian Catherine Corless tracked down the death certificates for nearly 800 children who died at the home in Tuam between the 1920s and 1961, but could only find a burial record for one child. Also read: Mass grave of children found at former Catholic orphanage in Ireland Investigators later found a mass grave with the remains of babies and young children in an underground sewage structure on the grounds of the home. The ages of these children ranged from 35 weeks of gestation to 3 years. In total, 9,000 children died in 18 different mother-and-baby homes across Ireland. These deaths include those from several ailments, including respiratory infections and gastroenteritis, otherwise known as the stomach flu. Daniel MacSweeney, who leads the exhumation of the babies' remains at Tuam, said survivors and family members will have an opportunity to view the works in the coming weeks. The remains recovered from the site will be forensically examined. Any identified remains will be returned to family members. Unidentified bodies will be properly buried as per religious conventions. Annette McKay's sister is believed to be buried at the site. Her mother, Margaret 'Maggie' O'Connor gave birth to a baby, Mary Margaret, at the home after she was raped. "I don't care if it's a thimbleful, as they tell me there wouldn't be much remains left; at six months old, it's mainly cartilage more than bone,' she told Sky News.
5 days ago
- Health
Works begin in Ireland to exhume remains of hundreds of babies found at unwed mothers' home
LONDON -- Officials in Ireland began work Monday to excavate the site of a former church-run home for unmarried women and their babies to identify the remains of some 800 infants and young children who died there. The long-awaited excavation at the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway in western Ireland, is part of a reckoning in an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country with a history of abuses in church-run institutions. The home, which was run by an order of Catholic nuns and closed in 1961, was one of many such institutions that housed tens of thousands of orphans and unmarried pregnant women who were forced to give up their children throughout much of the 20th century. In 2014, historian Catherine Corless tracked down death certificates for nearly 800 children who died at the home in Tuam between the 1920s and 1961 — but could only find a burial record for one child. Investigators later found a mass grave containing the remains of babies and young children in an underground sewage structure on the grounds of the home. DNA analysis found that the ages of the dead ranged from 35 weeks gestation to 3 years. A major inquiry into the mother-and-baby homes found that in total, some 9,000 children died in 18 different mother-and-baby homes, with major causes including respiratory infections and gastroenteritis, otherwise known as the stomach flu. Daniel MacSweeney, who leads the exhumation of the babies' remains at Tuam, said survivors and family members will have an opportunity to view the works in coming weeks. 'This is a unique and incredibly complex excavation," he said in a statement, adding that the memorial garden at the site will be under forensic control and closed to the public from Monday. Forensic experts will analyze and preserve remains recovered from the site. Any identified remains will be returned to family members in accordance with their wishes, and unidentified remains will be buried with dignity and respect, officials said. The works are expected to take two years to complete.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
‘Significant day' as pre-excavation work begins at Tuam mother & baby home site in bid to ID & rebury 796 remains
PRE-excavation work on the site of a notorious former mother and baby home in Co Galway has begun. Advertisement 2 The remains of 796 babies and children are believed to have been buried at the site Credit: AFP The prep phase, which will last around four weeks, comes ahead of the full-scale excavation of the site to try to identify the remains of In 2014, research led by local historian Catherine Corless indicated the babies and young The St Mary's home for unmarried mothers and their kids was run by the Bon Secours Sisters, a religious order of Catholic nuns. In 2021, Advertisement Read more in News The Bon Secours Sisters also offered a 'profound apology' after acknowledging the order had 'failed to protect the inherent dignity' of women and children in the Tuam home. Speaking about the work today, 'It's a very, very difficult harrowing story and situation. We have to wait to see what unfolds now as a result of the excavation.' Advertisement Most read in Irish News Latest She said: 'Survivors and relatives have suffered and been left in the dark for far too long, not knowing if their relative is amongst those placed in a disused septic tank. 'This uncertainty alone brings so much suffering. Mass grave discovered at former Catholic orphanage in Tuam, Ireland 'I hope that this process will provide much needed answers and that as many children as possible will be identified and reburied in a respectful and appropriate way." The work at the burial site, which is being undertaken by the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT), will involve exhumation, analysis, identification if possible, and re-interment of the remains at the site. Advertisement The pre-excavation work includes the installation of a 2.4-metre hoarding around the perimeter. 24-HOUR MONITORING The site will now be subject to security monitoring on a 24-hour basis to ensure the forensic integrity of the site during the excavation. Ahead of the preparatory work, Daniel MacSweeney, who leads the ODAIT, described the planned excavation as 'unique and incredibly complex'. One of Mr MacSweeney's main responsibilities will be to ensure any remains that are uncovered are re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way. Advertisement ODAIT's Selina Brogan and survivor Peter Mulryan, whose sister died in the home, were present for the launch of the pre-excavation work. The excavation is anticipated to last two years. 2 Pre-excavation work on the site of a notorious former mother and baby home in Co Galway has begun. Credit: PA
