The true horror of Irish mother and baby homes

Ireland is preparing to open its wounds of the past. In Tuam, in the west of the country, a Catholic mother and baby home welcomed pregnant umarried women between 1925 adn 1961. These women were outcast by society, with sexual relations outside of marriage banned at the time. After giving birth, the mothers were separated from their babies and had to work for free in the home to pay the nuns who looked after the babies. However, many of these babies died due to neglect and those who survived were adopted or fostered. In Tuam, 796 babies and children who were hastily buried were discovered ten years ago, whilst the families continue to be faced with the silence of both the Church and the State. Thanks to a local histoiran, exhumation work is due to start in 2025 so these infants can be buried with dignity.