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A decades-long quest for truth by an Irish woman has again put the spotlight on one of Ireland's darkest secrets, the estimated 796 infant babies thrown into a septic tank under the St Mary's Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway. Operated by the Bon Secours Sisters from 1925 to 1961, the Tuam home was one of a number of such "Mother and Baby Homes" that were run throughout Ireland throughout most of the 20th century. Unmarried mothers and their infants were kept out of view, sometimes apart, and in hundreds of instances, the babies died and were buried in unmarked graves in secret.

Dark History Of Mother And Baby Homes

For Annette McKay, 71, a resident of Manchester, the revelation came decades later when she became a mother herself. Speaking to CNN, McKay shared how her mother, Maggie O’Connor, broke down upon seeing her newborn grandson, but not for the reasons McKay expected. “It’s the baby, the baby,” her mother wept, revealing a secret she had carried since 1943. As a teenager confined at Tuam, O’Connor had been told by nuns that her “child of sin” had died, with no explanation and no funeral. In recent weeks, forensic experts have started digging on the Tuam site grounds, after persistent pressure from survivors and families such as Ms McKay, who wish to see the babies given dignified burials. “Growing up, I always thought my sister Mary Margaret had a small grave in the Irish countryside,” McKay said. “But the truth is much worse — she was dumped like rubbish. I won’t rest until she has the dignified burial she deserves,” she added.

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A 2015 Irish government investigation verified that in such institutions as Tuam, unmarried women tended to be coerced into giving birth covertly. Most of the babies were removed by force from their mothers and placed for adoption, some even sent as far as the UK, the United States, Canada, and Australia. For the dead, there were no proper records made or funerals held. They were simply buried in informal mass graves, like the septic tank at Tuam that contained hundreds of skeletons for decades until local historians and campaign groups pushed the scandal to the forefront.

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As excavation work continues, families are demanding that remains be identified where possible and reburied with full honours. Ms McKay has vowed not to engrave her mother’s name on her headstone until her sister Mary Margaret is laid to rest beside her. “This is part of our history that Ireland must face. Only then can we heal and ensure that nothing like this happens again,” McKay said.