Writers and artists have called on the government for “a complete excavation, identification where possible, and dignified reburial of the victims of Tuam.”
We the undersigned writers and artists appeal to the Government to use the full force of its purse and power to undertake a complete excavation, identification where possible, and dignified reburial of the victims of Tuam.
We further appeal for the Government to undertake an active and authentic attempt to identify the many missing individuals who will have been illegally adopted at home and abroad.
In light of significant, possibly criminal, failings at Tuam – of which the lack of burial records for 796 infants and children, the missing bodies of women, the verified existence of “significant quantities” of human remains, and the ongoing testimony of survivors are ample evidence – mere memorialisation is inadequate.
Systematic exhumation is necessary to uncover the truth.
The Government must use any and all resources (including, as necessary, resources of the Bon Secours Order) to complete a full excavation and identification of all remains on the site as has been consistently requested by Catherine Corless, survivors, and family members of those who lived in the Home.
MARY O’DONNELL, DR AILBHE DARCY, KIMBERLY CAMPANELLO, AIDEEN BARRY, CARMEL BENSON, MELONY BETHALA, DR DYLAN BRENNAN,MAIRÉAD BYRNE,FIÓNA BOLGER,JUNE CALDWELL, MARY ROSE CALLAGHAN, ANNA CAREY, EILEEN CASEY, PAUL CASEY, SARAH CLANCY, JANE CLARKE, PATRICK CHAPMAN, BRÍD CONNOLLY, SUSAN CONNOLLY, JUNE CONSIDINE, BRIGID CORCORAN, MARION COX, ENDA COYLE-GREENE, CATHERINE ANN CULLEN, MADELEINE D’ARCY, MARTINA DEVLIN, MOYRA DONALDSON, THEO DORGAN, CATHERINE DUNNE, ANNE ENRIGHT, ATTRACTA FAHY, TANYA FARRELLY, ELAINE FEENEY, KIT FRYATT, MIA GALLAGHER, ANTHONY GLAVIN, SINÉAD GLEESON, SHAUNA GILLIGAN, JACKIE GORMAN, DYLAN COBURN GRAY, SARAH MARIA GRIFFIN, VONA GROARKE, MARY GUCKIAN, MAURICE HARMON, JACK HARTE, JOANNE HAYDEN, CLAIRE HENNESSY, RITA ANN HIGGINS,ELEANOR HOOKER, VICTORIA KENNEFICK,ANATOLY KUDRYAVITSKY, DAVE LORDAN, AIFRIC MAC AODHA, CATHERINE PHIL MacCARTHY, JOHN MacKENNA, NUALA MACKLIN ALICE MAHER, CHRISTODOULO MAKRIS, OANA SANZIANA MARIAN, EMER MARTIN, JOHN McAULIFFE, FELICITY McCARTAN, FLISH McCARTHY, MOLLY McCLOSKEY, MARIA McMANUS, DECLAN MEADE, PAULA MEEHAN, LIA MILLS,SINÉAD MORRISSEY, PAUL MULDOON, HELENA MULKERNS, ANNE MULHALL, SONYA MULLIGAN, CHRISTINE MURRAY, UNA NI CHEALLAIGH, ANNEMARIE NÍ CHURREÁIN, NUALA NI CHONCHUIR, DOIREANN NÍ GHRÍOFA, EILEEN NÍ SHUILLEABHÁIN, LIZ NUGENT, JEAN O’BRIEN, MARGARET O’DONNELL, JOHN O’DONOVAN, NESSA O’MAHONY, GERALDINE O’REILLY, Dr ROBYN ROWLAND AO, KARL PARKINSON, JUSTIN QUINN, CONNIE ROBERTS, ANNETTE SKADE, KELLY E. SULLIVAN, ANNE TANNAM, SUSAN TOMASELLI, JESSICA TRAYNOR, SAMANTHA WALTON, DAVID WHEATLEY, and ADAM WYETH.
Thanks the AntiRoom
Meanwhile…
#poem 'Heavy Clogs' #TuamBabies https://t.co/WnGCrnkAl0 #PopeInIreland @lukeming @eamonderry @DeanKellyArt @MartinDoyleIT @KittyHollandIT @tuambabies @thedoghouse47 @wallacemick @broadsheet_ie @AlisonWhitelock @1annecasey @VoteHollandSF @TinaMacVeigh @ReadaCronin @ZaiNoted pic.twitter.com/bY3klP5F2m
— Kevin Higgins – poet (@KevinHIpoet1967) August 24, 2018
Is there room on that list for someone who is neither a writer or an artist?
Vanessa E Foran
At the very least, the bodies should be exhumed and DNA profiles of each child taken and stored, for possible future identification, before formally reburying. Most children will probably feature multiple times, given the disrespectful way they were all heaped together, making it difficult to distinguish between limbs etc. Taking it further, their DNA profiles could be cross-referenced firstly against people claiming to be relatives, but also against online databases such as Ancestry and MyHeritage, to try and identify them.
with DNA we’ll find out who all the daddies are!
That may cause a lot of discomfort. Perhaps we should DNA test all the priests that were active at the time. hmm?
I thought this was already in progress….
Y’know, out of common sense and decency…
:-J
Who is actually against this effort ?
The government and gardai by the looks of it. You would have thought that the area would have been sealed off by now, with exhumations and forensics taking place. The authorities should be embarrassed and ashamed at their response to this murderous tragedy.