Seven sets of human remains that likely belong to infants were discovered at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway according to the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, ODAIT. Other adult human remains had been founded earlier in the excavations.
However ODAIT has been unable to date the infant remains and is sending them for analysis.
“As it is currently undetermined which era these human remains are from, ODAIT cannot say at this time whether they are from the Workhouse era (1841 to 1918), the military era (1918 to 1925) or the Mother and Baby Institution era (1925 to 1961). Radiocarbon dating and other analysis is being carried out to aid in determining their era of origin.”
ODAIT stresses that the underground vaulted structures where the remains were found nearby, are not “the multi-chambered tank in the memorial garden, which was located in 2016/17. The memorial garden will be excavated later in this process.”
