Woman's Hour

The Tuam babies scandal: A Woman's Hour special


Listen Later

For this special edition of Woman's Hour, Nuala McGovern travels to Tuam, County Galway in Ireland to visit the site of a former mother and baby home which came to the world’s attention in 2014. It was revealed that up to 796 babies and young children who died in the care of the nuns who ran the home, had been disposed of in a disused sewage tank. Now, more than a decade since the scandal broke, work is starting on a full excavation.

Nuala has an exclusive interview with Daniel MacSweeney, who is in charge of the excavation, and hopes to provide answers for families who want to give their children a decent burial. She also speaks to the women who uncovered the scandal - Catherine Corless and Anna Corrigan, as well as journalist Alison O'Reilly who broke the story, and to Paul Forde, a survivor of the Tuam home, whose baby sister's remains may be in the mass grave.

If you believe you are related to a child buried in Tuam, please contact Daniel MacSweeney's team. The confidential phone line is 00 353 1 5391777 or email [email protected]

The postal address is: Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT), Custom House, Flood Street, Galway, H91 XV2C, Ireland.

And we're inviting you to also share your story with us, you can email Woman's Hour via the 'Contact Us' tab above.

Contributors:

Catherine Corless, campaigner and Tuam resident
Paul Forde, Tuam mother and baby home survivor
Daniel MacSweeney, Director of Authorised
Intervention at Tuam
Anna Corrigan, Tuam Babies Family Group
Alison O'Reilly, journalist at the Irish Examiner

Presenter: Nuala McGovern

Producer: Sarah Crawley
AP/Digital: Claire Fox

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Woman's HourBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

269 ratings


More shows like Woman's Hour

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,709 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,066 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,472 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,804 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,774 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,056 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,079 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,999 Listeners

Happy Place by Fearne Cotton

Happy Place

1,138 Listeners

Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware by Jessie Ware

Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware

1,610 Listeners

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

1,172 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,221 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

733 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,038 Listeners

The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan by Gabby Logan

The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan

169 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

104 Listeners

Comfort Eating with Grace Dent by The Guardian

Comfort Eating with Grace Dent

135 Listeners

The Louis Theroux Podcast by Spotify Studios

The Louis Theroux Podcast

421 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

51 Listeners

Off Air with Jane & Fi by The Times

Off Air with Jane & Fi

160 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

480 Listeners

Begin Again with Davina McCall by Begin Again

Begin Again with Davina McCall

582 Listeners

What's Up Docs? by BBC Radio 4

What's Up Docs?

106 Listeners

Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball by Persephonica

Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball

184 Listeners

Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett by BBC Sounds

Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett

24 Listeners