Excavation in Ireland May Reveal a Dark Secret

Excavators began digging Monday at a nondescript site in western Ireland, and they're expected to unearth an unmarked mass grave that speaks to a dark chapter in the nation's history. The site in Tuam, County Galway, is believed to hold the remains of hundreds of infants and children who died at a former home for unwed mothers run by Catholic nuns, reports CBS News. The St. Mary's children's home existed from 1925 to 1961, one of many such institutions throughout the country.

The dig at what is now a housing estate follows revelations a decade ago by local historian Catherine Corless, whose research uncovered evidence that nearly 800 children died at the home, reports the BBC. Many of the deaths, attributed to various illnesses such as TB and whooping cough, were undocumented until she compiled state death certificates and linked them to an old septic tank where the bodies were reportedly buried. Test excavations in 2016 and 2017 confirmed that remains were present.

"This is a recovery to a forensic standard, so it's like a police investigation scene," Daniel MacSweeney, who is leading the dig, tells the Guardian. "The legislation requires us to call the coroner or the [police] if we find evidence of unnatural death." A government inquiry has concluded that 9,000 children died in such homes throughout the country over eight decades.