Authorities in Ireland have begun digging at the site of a former Catholic-run institution where nearly 800 babies and children are believed to be buried in a mass grave. The site, in the small town of Tuam, County Galway, was once home to the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home—a facility for unwed mothers operated by Catholic nuns from 1925 until its closure in 1961.

Local historian Catherine Corless uncovered the shocking scale of the tragedy in 2014, revealing that 798 children died at the home, but only two were formally buried in a nearby cemetery. The rest, her research found, were likely placed in a disused septic tank—an area now referred to by locals as “the pit.” Excavation crews are now preparing to recover and identify the remains, a process that could take up to two years.

The Tuam home was one of many institutions across Ireland where unmarried women were sent to give birth. These women were often forced to work without pay for a year and were separated from their babies, many of whom were adopted out without consent. Some mothers, like Margaret “Maggie” O’Connor—who was raped at 17—never saw their babies again and were notified of their deaths in devastating ways. Her daughter, born at Tuam, died at six months old. “A nun walked up behind her and said, ‘The child of your sin is dead,’” recalled her daughter Annette McKay, who now lives in the UK.

These homes, and others like the Magdalene Laundries, were part of a larger, state-backed system that punished so-called “fallen women.” Victims included not just sex workers, but rape survivors, abused children, and unmarried mothers. Many of the institutions were run by Catholic orders, often with silent approval from the Irish government.

The Tuam site sat largely untouched for decades after the home was demolished in 1971 and replaced by modern apartments. It wasn’t until 2022 that the Irish Parliament passed legislation allowing excavation. Now, at last, families may finally receive some form of justice and closure.

In 2014, Ireland’s government formally apologized for its role in these institutions. A compensation fund launched in 2022 has paid out over $32 million to survivors, though many religious organizations involved have refused to contribute.

As the excavation begins, the hope is not just to identify remains, but to offer long-overdue dignity to the children—and truth to the families left behind.