No evidence of ‘manifestly inappropriate burials’ at Castlepollard institution

Members of the Oireachtas have been told that investigations have not shown evidence of “manifestly inappropriate burials” at the Castlepollard Mother and Baby Home. The topic was discussed in the Dáil shortly before Christmas, when TDs heard that local authorities have been directed to give “adequate consideration” to protect unrecorded burial sites in any development plan for such sites.

In raising the matter, Cork North West Fine Gael TD, John Paul O’Shea, asked Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley if the government has initiated any searches, excavations, or scientific investigations at other former mother and baby homes and county homes where evidence strongly suggests the existence of unmarked mass graves.

Among the institutions flagged in the query was the Castlepollard Mother and Baby home, which was run by the Congregations of the Sacred Heart and opened in 1935. It recorded an alarming rate of baby mortality in its first five years, when 60.2% of all infants died. A total of 4,559 babies were born in Castlepollard up to 1971, 247 of whom died. Most of the babies died due to congenital debility and prematurity.

In her reply, Minister Foley said she was “very conscious of hurt felt by survivors and family members of people who died in institutions”.

The minister said the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was established in 2015 to investigate issues associated with Mother and Baby institutions, including deaths and burial arrangements.

“Its findings in relation to each institution, including the former institutions in Tuam, Bessborough, Sean Ross Abbey and Castlepollard, are set out in its reports,” she told the Oireachtas.

The commission report confirmed the presence of juvenile remains, buried in “a manifestly inappropriate manner”, at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam.

In 2022, the government directed the establishment of the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam, to manage and oversee the excavation, recovery, analysis, identification (if possible) and reburial of the children’s remains at the site.

That intervention is being carried out under the provisions of the Institutional Burials Act 2022, which provides for the appointment of a director where the government are satisfied that burials have taken place and where there is evidence that those burials are manifestly inappropriate.

Minister Foley described the investigations that have taken place: “One of the tragic aspects of the commission’s findings in relation to the former institution at Bessborough is the uncertainty regarding the burial place of many children who were resident there.

The commission carried out assessments and surveys of the site and spoke to people with information about burials but it was unable to find any evidence of burials of the children who died at Bessborough in the grounds.

“As no evidence of burial locations was found, the commission did not consider it possible to excavate the full available site, which amounts to 60 acres, or indeed the former 200-acre estate, parts of which have now been built on.”

The minister spoke of the difficulties that presents: “As the location of burials is, sadly, unknown, it is not possible to bring forward a proposal to establish an office of the director of authorised intervention to excavate and recover remains at the Bessborough site. I also understand that there are different views among survivors groups about how the site should be treated.”

Turning to St Anne’s Special School run by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Roscrea in County Tipperary, the minster said: “The commission used its investigative powers to conduct a forensic archaeological investigation of the children’s burial ground at Sean Ross Abbey. The investigation found that coffined infant human burials were located across the designated burial ground.

“The commission was, therefore, of the view that no further investigation was warranted. More recently, the department provided funding to a local group to conduct a survey of land beside the burial ground, which was not investigated by the commission. An assessment of that survey found no clear evidence of burials in that area.”

Speaking specifically about the Castlepollard Mother and Baby Home, Minister Foley said: “In relation to Castlepollard, the commission stated that it had no reason to doubt that the majority of children who died there are buried in the burial ground on the site. Its investigations included a review of an archaeological assessment, which was carried out for the HSE in 2017.

“Given that investigations have not shown evidence of manifestly inappropriate burials at these sites, it is not possible to bring forward a proposal to establish an office of director of authorised intervention for these sites.”

Minister Foley said local authorities have been briefed on their obligations when assessing any development plans for such sites: “As part of the Government Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, in November 2022, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage [Darragh O’Brien] wrote to all city and county councils requesting that development plan processes give adequate consideration to incorporating appropriate measures to ensure the protection of unrecorded burial sites associated with an institution,” she concluded.