Catherine Corless

Catherine Corless
Born
Catherine Farrell

1954 (age 69–70)
Tuam, County Galway, Ireland
NationalityIrish
OccupationLocal historian
Known forInvestigating the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home

Catherine Corless (née Farrell; born 1954)[1] is an Irish historian, known for her work in compiling the information concerning the deaths of children at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Galway. After gaining an interest in local history from attending an evening course, Corless decided to write an article about the mother and baby home inspired by her own childhood memories of the institution. She spent her spare time searching records in libraries, churches and council offices, and uncovered that 796 children died in the home. She found death certificates but identified that there were no burial records.[2][3][4] The bodies were eventually found to have been disposed of in a disused septic tank on the property.[5] She has received a number of awards in recognition of her work, including a People of the Year Award in 2018. Following the 2020 government report on deaths and abuses at Mother and Baby homes, the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin called Corless a “tireless crusader of dignity and truth”.[6]

  1. ^ "Catherine Corless". Radio 4. BBC. 26 March 2017. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  2. ^ Gentleman, Amelia (13 June 2014). "The mother behind the Galway children's mass grave story: 'I want to know who's down there'". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  3. ^ Bohan, Christine. "She was right: How Catherine Corless uncovered what happened in Tuam". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  4. ^ Barry, Dan (28 October 2017). "The Lost Children of Tuam". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  5. ^ Carroll, Rory. "A stain on Ireland's conscience': identification to begin of 796 bodies buried at children's home". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  6. ^ Specia, Megan (12 January 2021). "Report Gives Glimpse into Horrors of Ireland's Mother and Baby Homes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.