Remains of over 100 bodies found in dig all buried in coffins at Irish mother and baby home

Investigators at the former St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Ireland, reported that all 109 sets of remains recovered during the excavation show evidence of being buried in coffins. An update issued Oct. 2 contradicts previous claims that children's remains were dumped at the site.

The excavation, which began in July 2025, is taking place at the site in County Galway where nearly 800 infants are believed to be buried. The Bon Secour Sisters operated the home on behalf of the Irish government from 1925 until 1961.

The site became a subject of international attention in 2014 after historian Catherine Corless identified death certificates for 796 children that lacked corresponding burial records. A 2017 investigation found human remains in underground chambers within an unused sewage system, leading to media reports alleging the remains had been dumped in a septic tank.