Infant remains at former Catholic-run mother and baby home in Ireland rise to 99

The remains of 22 more infants have been found at the site of a former mother and baby home in Tuam, Ireland, Report informs, citing Sky News.

The discovery brings the total number of infant remains found at the former St Mary's mother and baby home in County Galway to 99 since searches began last July.

The latest remains were found between July 1 and 15 in an area that had been covered with gravel and used for vehicle access. There were no surface markers indicating burials at the site.

The search is being led by the Office of the Director of Authorized Intervention Tuam. Investigators said hand excavation is continuing and seven additional DNA reference samples have been collected, bringing the total to 62.

Investigators, supported by international experts, are trying to identify the remains of infants who died at the home between 1925 and 1961.

In 2014, research by local historian Catherine Corless indicated that 796 babies and young children had been buried at the institution during that period. In 2017, a commission found significant quantities of child and infant remains in underground chambered tanks at the site.

St Mary's home for unmarried mothers and their children was run by the Bon Secours Sisters, a Catholic religious order.

In 2021, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin apologized on behalf of the state for the treatment of women and children in mother and baby homes across Ireland, after an investigation found that about 9,000 children had died in 18 such institutions.