Catherine Corless says development at Bessborough is ‘atrocious’

The historian who uncovered the names of the 796 children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home said it is “atrocious” that a development got the go-ahead on the grounds of Bessborough in Cork City.

Catherine Corless was speaking at the world premiere of The Lost Children of Tuam, which opened at the Galway Film Fleadh on Saturday. The film received a 10-minute standing ovation from the audience.

The film depicts the story of her14-year battle against the Catholic Church and State to uncover the truth of what happened to hundreds of children who died there, some of whom are believed to have been buried in a septic tank on the grounds of the former religious-run institution.

Directed by Frank Berry ( Michael Inside), and produced by Liam Neeson and Element Pictures, Ms Corless, played by Monica Dolan, captures how the children’s mass grave in Tuam became an international scandal.

The site is currently being excavated and examined, and a temporary mortuary has been set up for the children being recovered.

Ms Corless, who said the entire experience has been “surreal”, used the questions-and-answers session to highlight how other mother and baby homes have not had their land excavated.

The Tuam exhumation got underway a year ago, and 77 children have been located so far.

Ms Corless said what is happening in Bessborough in Cork is “atrocious” after An Coimisiún Pleanála upheld a decision to allow the development of 140 apartments on the site of the former institution.

“There is a great group of people down there who have tried over the years,” she told the audience.

“The sisters down there, it should be demanded from them and asked where these 900 babies are. Where are they buried? They say they don’t know. That can’t be right.

“Developers are coming in and building on the site where the remains have to be there somewhere. 

"What they offered was to bring in some archaeologist, where they are digging to see if they find anything. That is terrible.

"Hundreds of women went in there and suffered terribly, and the babies — God help us, it’s like Tuam — but still they got the final planning permission to go ahead. 

"I think that is absolutely inhuman to do that.”

The crowd erupted into applause, and she urged the people of Cork to keep going with their campaign to find the 923 children who died there — the majority of whom do not have burial records.

Former president Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina were in attendance at the sold-out opening night of the film, along with Dan Barry from The New York Times. Mr Barry was one of the producers on the film.

Lost children of Tuam

He spoke about how Neeson had contacted him after he wrote a piece on the lost children of Tuam, and they began developing the film.

Director Berry said that when he was sent the script, he “could not turn it down”.

Real-life survivors PJ Haverty, Carmel Larkin, Teresa O’Sullivan, Peter Mulry, and Pat Duffy all appear in the film.

Real-life footage of protests and the pope’s visit to Ireland in 2018 are all used to help portray Corless’s battle for justice.

Her husband, Aidan Corless, also has a part in the film, which focuses on their relationship as Corless sets out to find out what happened in the Tuam mother and baby home.

Anna Corrigan, whose mother Bridget Dolan was in the home and had two boys taken from her by the nuns (one died and one is missing), said she was “deeply moved” by the film.