One Woman’s Mission to Unveil Tuam’s Awful Truth

By Denise McNamara
Connacht Tribune
March 9, 2017

http://connachttribune.ie/one-womans-mission-unveil-tuams-awful-truth-311/

Catherine Corless at the burial site before the investigation.

When Catherine Corless arrived at the Connacht Tribune three years ago armed with her files which included the names of the 798 babies and children who had died at St Mary’s in Tuam, she exuded a quiet determination.

She wanted a proper memorial for the offspring of the unmarried mothers whom she was convinced were consigned to an old septic tank on the site of the mother and baby home run by the Bons Secours Order.

Little did she think that her quest for information on those deaths would have sparked the outcry that has since erupted.

After the Connacht Tribune published the results of her research – which led eventually to national and international coverage months afterwards – she had a steady succession of people coming to her trying to trace their family members.

“It opened so many doors for people. You don’t realise it. One man in his seventies who had six in the family only told them he had been born in the home when they were reading your article.”

She also had a torrent of abuse from some people who said she was talking nonsense.

“I did have people giving out. Why are you showing this up for now? My argument all along was it’s not that long ago. We have to help people who need to know what happened to their families and these dead babies.”

After years of having doors slammed in her face by officialdom, the last week has been a breath of fresh air.

The barrister assisting Judge Yvonne Murphy on the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation rang her to say that it would be announced that significant human remains dating back to the time of the home had been found on the site.

“Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone then rang me and told me what she was going to say. She was shaking and very shocked when making the announcement, it was staggering. She even used the word septic tank. I was overwhelmed entirely,” Catherine told the Connacht Tribune.

“It really annoys me when people talk about this and exaggerate. There’s no need to add anything to this story. They were more or less discarded. We know some of them didn’t have coffins. I’d like to know did they put shrouds on them.”

See full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.