Free Republic

Tucked away between houses on an estate in the Republic of Ireland is a small field that many believe, until recently, had a big secret. Beneath a grotto of the Virgin Mary, lie flowers and teddy bears by well-wishers in memory of the children of unmarried mothers, described at the time as "fallen women." It is believed nearly 800 children are buried in the grounds of what was once a mother and baby home run by nuns in Tuam, County Galway. A child died nearly every two weeks between the mid 1920's and 60's. After world-wide publicity, the Irish government...

The names, ages, and causes of death of all 796 children who died at St. Mary's Home ... in Tuam, Co. Galway from 1925 to 1960 have been published in full, below. The list is long, and reading it is a horrifying heartbreaking experience - though nowhere near as horrifying as the short lives of the children who died, or as heartbreaking as the sheer number of lost little lives. When she began her research, Catherine Corless ... the local historian who set out to uncover the truth about the bones buried at the site of the former Mother and...