‘open the Tuam Grave Site’
Galway Independent
A relative of a Tuam Home resident has called for a full exhumation of an unofficial graveyard at the site of the former Mother and Baby Home. William Dolan is purported to have died in the Tuam Home in 1951, but no death certificate has been found for him. A relative, who wishes to remain anonymous, believes that he was adopted to North America, and wants the site examined to determine the truth. Records also indicate William’s brother John died at the home in 1947. Research conducted by Tuam historian Catherine Corless revealed that 796 children, most of them infants, died between 1925 and 1961 at the home. She discovered that there were no burial records for the children and that they had not been interred in any of the local public cemeteries, concluding that many of the children were buried in an unofficial graveyard. William Dolan’s relative is now calling for a full exhumation of the site in order to establish what happened. “When I was young I heard something about this but I was too young for it to register properly but it did come back to me in recent years.” More details of what happened began to emerge a number of years ago when she was doing family research and the charity Barnados conducted some family tracing for her. “It has been very difficult to deal with. William is reported to have died but there is no death certificate for him, there is no reason in any of the ledgers of the cause of his death. “There is no medical certification of his death,” she added. She recalls another family member stating that he was adopted to North America. She is calling for the site to be exhumed, and feels it will provide justice for the family members of those believed to be buried there. “What I am looking for now is to find out what happened to them. I want to have the Tuam grave site opened. This would, through DNA and forensics, facilitate the discovery of whether they are in there and if other people’s relatives are in there. Justice will be served for everyone not just for those from the Tuam Home but every home in Ireland.” She has contacted the Gardai in relation to the matter and has also written to Frances Fitzgerald, now Minister for Justice. She also contacted An Taoiseach Enda Kenny. “I have registered with the adoption authorities in Canada in the hope of finding out information. But it is a hard thing to find as there are no official channels that I can go through. It is difficult to get a start on finding information.” Gardai informed the woman that they could not confirm whether William Dolan had died or where he is buried. As a result, they believe it is not legally possible to further an application for an exhumation order for the Tuam grave site. The woman said, “When you hear personal stories from people who have been through the homes, it is horrendous what these people have gone through. I want to find out what happened to my relatives. No one wants to address the opening of the site. Who knows what secrets it holds.” The Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation carried out a geophysical survey on the unofficial graveyard site last October, the results of which have not yet been made known. Earlier this month, this Commission was granted an extension of time to complete its three reports into 18 Mother and Baby Homes across the country, including the one in Tuam. All reports are now expected to be completed by February 2018.
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