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Tuam Mortuary to Open, 77 Infant Coffins Identified

6/6/2026

26 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A facility and mortuary in Tuam are near completion and should open later this summer.
The Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention in Tuam found eight more infant coffins, raising the total remains to 77.
ODAIT gathered 55 DNA samples from relatives and visited the United States, United Kingdom and Canada to aid identification.
Bon Secours Sisters and Galway County Council apologized and pledged £2.14 million, extending work to 2027.

History

Historical Context

After the October 2002 Prime Time broadcast “Cardinal Secrets” exposed clerical abuse, the Irish government passed the Commission of Investigation Act 2004, leading to Judge Yvonne Murphy’s 2009 report on 46 Dublin priests. The Ryan Report, released 20 March 2009, built on this momentum, documenting abuse in residential institutions and prompting reforms still pursued today.

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Story summary

A facility and mortuary in Tuam are near completion and should open later this summer.
The Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention in Tuam found eight more infant coffins, raising the total remains to 77.
ODAIT gathered 55 DNA samples from relatives and visited the United States, United Kingdom and Canada to aid identification.
Bon Secours Sisters and Galway County Council apologized and pledged £2.14 million, extending work to 2027.

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