Nine missing women may also be in mass baby grave

By Caroline Crawford
Irish Independent
June 7, 2014

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/nine-missing-women-may-also-be-in-mass-baby-grave-30335918.html

Local historian Catherine Corless who highlighted the plight of over 800 babies buried in a mass grave in Tuam Co Galway. Pictured here at her home this afternoon in Brownsgrove just outside Tuam, Co Galway.

Bodies of nine women who died in the Tuam Mother and Baby home may also lie near the 796 infants buried in a septic tank on the grounds, according to locals.
The records obtained by local historian Catherine Corless – which show that close to 800 babies died at the Tuam Mother and Baby home – also reveal that nine women died over the same period.

However, she has been unable to ascertain where their graves are.

Local man Martin Ward, who is heavily involved in the committee to erect a plaque in memory of the dead, said he believes the women lie alongside the infants.
"We believe there's nine women buried there as well,according to the records. They show nine women died and we presume that they are buried there," he said.

Inquiry

As calls for a full public inquiry into deaths at mother and baby homes continue to grow, the group who revealed the full scale of the scandal fear that the children who perished may become overlooked.

Ms Corless has urged the public to help fund a memorial.

She stressed that her group were not focusing on an inquiry or any criminal investigation.

"The most important thing is that their lives are acknowledged. We need to mark their little grave and we need help to do that," she said.

Teresa Kelly, chairperson of the The Children's Home Graveyard Committee, said they hoped to raise €50,000 to cover the cost of a plaque they hope to erect at the site.

"We're looking to ensure that we have funds to do everything ourselves. If we find we need more we'll deal with that then, but if we find that we don't need that amount of money either we'll be donating that to the other mother-and-baby homes projects.

Anyone who wishes to help fund the project is encouraged to donate to the Children's Home Graveyard at St Jarlath's Credit Union, account number 12747355, sort code 903971.

Irish Independent