You know how the saying goes, re "Lies, damned lies, and statistics". You are comparing apples to zebras here, by selecting the general population on the one hand, Tuam babies under 1 year old during the most precarious months of life on the other hand, picking the very worst year for the Tuam babies, and the very best year for the general population. So yeah, I grok your frustration in trying to figure out why the apples over here aren't running anywhere near as fast as the zebras over there.
A lot more on the numbers, in the next posting I'm about to make....
BTW, the author of the Forbes article makes a compelling, well-researched case demonstrating the journalistic malfeasance of Ireland's MSM w/ regards to this story, concluding with: "The image of nuns consciously dumping babies in a septic tank is one of the most irresponsible press hoaxes of modern times."
Gotta love stats. BAH! When you read that the life expectancy was very low, it is because they did not EXclude those who died before the age of five. In stats class we had to do a report after visiting cemetaries. I was fortunate enough to live in the NE and went to Bristol, PA. Many children died so young.