A Case That Broke Me ~ Catherine Corless Part 2

 

In 2012, Catherine Corless, a local historian, had written and published an article about Bon Secours Mother & Baby Home. It didn't take much, within a year she discovered the names of MANY children who had died in the home.

Unfortunately with this being very "dark" news, the town didn't take the research into the institution very well. People turned against Catherine Corless, calling her "Obsessive" and "Delusional."

In 2014, Anne Corrigan found the inspection reports for the home. She noticed that the home reported the deaths as "congenital debilities" "infectious diseases" and "malnutrition". Catherine Corless' came to the conclusion believing all of the deceased had been buried somewhere on the property. It was at this time Corless claimed that there was nearly 800 (796) children who died there.

Catherine Corless' claims were valid enough that the MOTHER & BABY HOMES COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION (under Judge Yvonne Murphy), started excavations in November 2016.

Between November 2016 and February 2017, the Commission found a significant amount of human remains, aging them from 35 week gestation to 2 - 3 year old toddlers. The remains were found in a "vault of twenty chambers."

Once they performed tests, carbon-dating confirmed everything that Catherine Corless had been saying. All the remains were from the time the home was operated by Bon Secours order. It was also revealed the remains were in a septic tank.

(I think this is what "hurts my heart". It isn't so much that children had perished; being realistic there wasn't a lot of medical help for unwed mothers nor their children. What I am grappling with is how their remains were disposed of. They were never properly recorded, buried nor even acknowledged. It was like they never existed... and that doesn't sit well with me).

To be continued...