Tireless researcher who exposed mass grave of Tuam home babies to receive human rights award

This news item from Yn Commeeys Celtiagh - Celtic News Mannin is about the announcement that Catherine Corless, who has done so much to expose the scandal surrounding the death and burial of almost 800 children and babies at a ‘mother and baby home’ at Tuam, County Galway in the west of Ireland has been awarded the Bar of Ireland Human Rights Award 2017. The home for unmarried mothers and their children operated between 1925 and 1961 in Tuam. As the article points out the exposure of the terrible events in Tuam have pointed to possible other similar scandals at other homes and industrial schools in the twenty-six counties:

TIRELESS RESEARCHER WHO EXPOSED MASS GRAVE OF TUAM HOME BABIES TO RECEIVE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

Catherine Corless the local historian from Tuam, Co Galway, who uncovered the scandal surrounding the death and burial of almost 800 children and babies at a ‘mother and baby home’ at Tuam is to be awarded a Human Rights prize. She will receive the Bar of Ireland Human Rights Award for 2017.

Rumours had long existed about the deaths and also mass burials at the - by then - demolished Bon Secours home but it was not until Catherine Corless started to research the issue that the ernomity of the scandal became apparent.

Officialdom was largely indifferent when the researcher commenced her work during which she tirelessly procured records of 796 deaths at a cost of 4 Euro per certificate.

Her work eventually led the the Irish government not only launching an enquiry into the Bon Secours home but has also brought a wider focus on possible similar situations at other homes and industrial schools in the twenty-six counties.

“On Wednesday October 18, The Bar of Ireland – the representative body for Ireland’s barristers who are members of the Law Library – announced Catherine Corless would receive the Human Rights Award.

"They said: “Delighted to announce The Bar of Ireland Human Rights Award 2017 recipient is Catherine Corless for tireless work re: Tuam Mother and Baby Home.”

Image: A blurred picture from 1924 shows some of the children at the grim home.

Report here on the announcement plus an earlier detailed report on the research work by Catherine Corless.

http://irishpost.co.uk/catherine-corless-receive-humanitar…/

http://www.thejournal.ie/catherine-corless-tuam-mother-and…/

Bernard Moffatt
pp Celtic League

21/10/17