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Belonging: One Woman's Search for Truth and Justice for the Tuam Babies
When 51-year-old Catherine Corless decided to enrol in an evening course in local history, she had no idea where the decision would lead her. The lecturer encouraged the class to 'see history all around you', to 'dig deeper and ask why'.
It was from these humble beginnings that Catherine began researching the Tuam Mother and Baby Home in County Galway, which she had passed every day as a child on her way to school. Slowly, she began to uncover a dark secret that had been kept for many years: the bodies of 796 babies had been buried in what she believed to be a sewage tank on the grounds. But who were these children, how did they get there and who had been responsible for looking after them?
Determined to ask why, Catherine doggedly set about investigating further. Her quest for justice for the Tuam babies and those who went through that home would span over a decade as, often against fierce resistance, she brought to light a terrible truth that shocked the world, impacted the Vatican, and led to a Commission of Investigation in Ireland.
Part memoir, part detective story, Belonging is both Catherine's account, and that of those 796 children for whom she came to care so deeply: one of the tender love of a mother and her child; of pain and trauma; of the unforgettable screams which echoed through the corridors as children were taken from their mothers; and of a mystery which continues to this very day, as so many are still left without answers, still searching to know where, and to whom they belong.
It was from these humble beginnings that Catherine began researching the Tuam Mother and Baby Home in County Galway, which she had passed every day as a child on her way to school. Slowly, she began to uncover a dark secret that had been kept for many years: the bodies of 796 babies had been buried in what she believed to be a sewage tank on the grounds. But who were these children, how did they get there and who had been responsible for looking after them?
Determined to ask why, Catherine doggedly set about investigating further. Her quest for justice for the Tuam babies and those who went through that home would span over a decade as, often against fierce resistance, she brought to light a terrible truth that shocked the world, impacted the Vatican, and led to a Commission of Investigation in Ireland.
Part memoir, part detective story, Belonging is both Catherine's account, and that of those 796 children for whom she came to care so deeply: one of the tender love of a mother and her child; of pain and trauma; of the unforgettable screams which echoed through the corridors as children were taken from their mothers; and of a mystery which continues to this very day, as so many are still left without answers, still searching to know where, and to whom they belong.
480 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2021
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October 4, 2021
Catherine Corless, is by all accounts, on the surface, an "ordinary" woman, living an "ordinary" life, in an "ordinary" home, with an "ordinary" family. But what she has done is truly extraordinary - finally shedding light on one of Ireland's darkest and most painful open secrets.
The Mother and Baby Homes, as they were called, are a stain on Ireland's past. Or, rather, they're part of a bigger stain in a country that has consistently treated its women and children so poorly.
These "homes", like so many other institutions, were ran by the Catholic Church in conjunction with the State. The Catholic Church still holds a huge amount of power when it comes to children's education in Ireland - of the 3,126 standard schools in the country, 2760 have Catholic patrons, despite the number of people who identify as Catholic continuing to decline (84.2% in 2011, 78.3% in 2016), according to the CSO.
In this book, Catherine Corless speaks about her life in Tuam, Co. Galway. She remembers going to school with the "home babies" - the children who lived in the institution. They weren't allowed to mix with these children, and many assumed that the children were orphans. This was not the case - mothers were forced to leave without their babies, often working several jobs to earn enough money to "buy" them back, only to find out that their children had been adopted out to wealthy American families or had died in the institution.
After attending a history lecture, Catherine took it upon herself to find out what happened to the home babies - and nothing could have prepared her for what she uncovered. A mass cover-up, a mass grave, and 796 little bodies still lying in situ in a disused sewage tank at the former site of the institution in Tuam, next to where, ironically and somewhat cruelly, a children's playground now stands. 796 children. When the nuns (members of the Bon Secours, who ran the institution and were responsible for the wellbeing of those children) were leaving the site before demolition, they exhumed and reburied members of their own order so as to not leave them behind. Yet the same dignity was not afforded to the children.
The unwillingness of anyone to help Catherine in the beginning is so angering. It is a testament to her strength of character that she kept going until she was heard - and yet, still, we are here in October 2021 and the bodies are still there. Catherine speaks about the event she held at the site of the mass grave in 2018 to coincide with the Pope's visit to Ireland. We were there that day, my then four year olds playing and laughing on the slide and seesaw oblivious to what was happening. You'd have to wonder if the children buried only feet away had ever been given the chance to experience even a few minutes of the same fun and laughter. And why not? Because they were born to women in a country ruled by men, that favoured men? Where are the fathers of these babies? Do they carry the same shame and trauma as the women did and do?
It's an enraging and upsetting book. But it's a slightly "easier" read than the equally powerful Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland's Institutions for 'Fallen Women' (which I would also recommend you read), because at the heart of it is a woman seeking answers for no reason but that it's the right thing to do. Catherine Corless is anything but ordinary - she's a phenomenal woman who has done so much for survivors of this damned country. It's worth noting, too, that she is incredibly honest and open about her previous mental health struggles, her husband's alcohol issues, and how both have affected their lives now. I felt that it was incredibly brave of Aidan to have his story included here, as it's not an uncommon issue in Ireland and I'm sure many can unfortunately relate.
I would urge everyone to read this book. Especially if you still take part in the rituals of the Catholic church just because it's "the done thing". Someone always needs to be the first one to stand up, and believe me, others will follow. Everyone deserves the freedom to practice whatever religion they want to, and if they believe in it, I certainly don't take an issue with that. But if your heart's not in it, and you don't really believe it, maybe give your ongoing participation a second thought.
We owe an awful lot to Catherine Corless.
I received this book as an ARC from the publisher, but I have since bought a copy to pass on to someone else because this really is a book that needs to be shared.
The Mother and Baby Homes, as they were called, are a stain on Ireland's past. Or, rather, they're part of a bigger stain in a country that has consistently treated its women and children so poorly.
These "homes", like so many other institutions, were ran by the Catholic Church in conjunction with the State. The Catholic Church still holds a huge amount of power when it comes to children's education in Ireland - of the 3,126 standard schools in the country, 2760 have Catholic patrons, despite the number of people who identify as Catholic continuing to decline (84.2% in 2011, 78.3% in 2016), according to the CSO.
In this book, Catherine Corless speaks about her life in Tuam, Co. Galway. She remembers going to school with the "home babies" - the children who lived in the institution. They weren't allowed to mix with these children, and many assumed that the children were orphans. This was not the case - mothers were forced to leave without their babies, often working several jobs to earn enough money to "buy" them back, only to find out that their children had been adopted out to wealthy American families or had died in the institution.
After attending a history lecture, Catherine took it upon herself to find out what happened to the home babies - and nothing could have prepared her for what she uncovered. A mass cover-up, a mass grave, and 796 little bodies still lying in situ in a disused sewage tank at the former site of the institution in Tuam, next to where, ironically and somewhat cruelly, a children's playground now stands. 796 children. When the nuns (members of the Bon Secours, who ran the institution and were responsible for the wellbeing of those children) were leaving the site before demolition, they exhumed and reburied members of their own order so as to not leave them behind. Yet the same dignity was not afforded to the children.
The unwillingness of anyone to help Catherine in the beginning is so angering. It is a testament to her strength of character that she kept going until she was heard - and yet, still, we are here in October 2021 and the bodies are still there. Catherine speaks about the event she held at the site of the mass grave in 2018 to coincide with the Pope's visit to Ireland. We were there that day, my then four year olds playing and laughing on the slide and seesaw oblivious to what was happening. You'd have to wonder if the children buried only feet away had ever been given the chance to experience even a few minutes of the same fun and laughter. And why not? Because they were born to women in a country ruled by men, that favoured men? Where are the fathers of these babies? Do they carry the same shame and trauma as the women did and do?
It's an enraging and upsetting book. But it's a slightly "easier" read than the equally powerful Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland's Institutions for 'Fallen Women' (which I would also recommend you read), because at the heart of it is a woman seeking answers for no reason but that it's the right thing to do. Catherine Corless is anything but ordinary - she's a phenomenal woman who has done so much for survivors of this damned country. It's worth noting, too, that she is incredibly honest and open about her previous mental health struggles, her husband's alcohol issues, and how both have affected their lives now. I felt that it was incredibly brave of Aidan to have his story included here, as it's not an uncommon issue in Ireland and I'm sure many can unfortunately relate.
I would urge everyone to read this book. Especially if you still take part in the rituals of the Catholic church just because it's "the done thing". Someone always needs to be the first one to stand up, and believe me, others will follow. Everyone deserves the freedom to practice whatever religion they want to, and if they believe in it, I certainly don't take an issue with that. But if your heart's not in it, and you don't really believe it, maybe give your ongoing participation a second thought.
We owe an awful lot to Catherine Corless.
I received this book as an ARC from the publisher, but I have since bought a copy to pass on to someone else because this really is a book that needs to be shared.
October 1, 2021
A heartfelt memoir and a really important book documenting the story of the Tuam Babies, as they’ve become known.
The Tuam Babies are the 796 children whose remains were discovered in a disused septic tank on the grounds of the old Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway.
The “Home” (what an oxymoron) was a place where unmarried pregnant women were effectively incarcerated for their sins, and in most cases, forced to give up their babies for adoption. Women who re-offended and “fell” pregnant a second time were sent to a Magdalen Laundry and incarcerated there.
The Home was run by the Bon Secours nuns from 1937-1961. During that time, the infant mortality rate in the Home was twice that in the population at large.
Catherine Corless, a local woman and hobbyist historian began to research the history of the Home ten years ago, and it was through her painstaking research that the children’s remains were uncovered.
The Catholic Church attempted to wash its hands of any responsibility, claiming these were remains from Famine times (absolutely disproven) and also claiming amnesia (nuns too old to remember).
It’s a book that will make you cry and will make your blood boil all over again. A woman heavily pregnant put on the crossbar of her father’s bike to cycle 20 miles in the dark of night to a mother and baby home, under orders from the priest. The children in the Home fed slop, neglected and forcibly separated from their mothers, often adopted on their first birthday, their mothers denied the chance to say goodbye, wailing as their child was taken away. Five year old children “fostered” out to local families and made to work like slaves, one locked up in a chicken coop while the family went to the local fair.
The whitewash that was the government’s Mother and Baby Home Report last year continues to incense me and Catherine deals really well with this in the book. The report assigned blame to society at large as opposed to those who held all the power - the State and the Catholic Church. Society was firmly under the thumb of the Church and people lived in absolute fear of falling foul of its moral code.
Catherine Corless deserves all the praise that comes her way - she is a tireless campaigner, a strong and empathetic voice for survivors, a national hero. The book is deeply personal (she discusses her own family life in candid detail and it is very moving to read), easy to read and it should be mandatory reading for everyone in Ireland. 5/5 ⭐️
The Tuam Babies are the 796 children whose remains were discovered in a disused septic tank on the grounds of the old Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway.
The “Home” (what an oxymoron) was a place where unmarried pregnant women were effectively incarcerated for their sins, and in most cases, forced to give up their babies for adoption. Women who re-offended and “fell” pregnant a second time were sent to a Magdalen Laundry and incarcerated there.
The Home was run by the Bon Secours nuns from 1937-1961. During that time, the infant mortality rate in the Home was twice that in the population at large.
Catherine Corless, a local woman and hobbyist historian began to research the history of the Home ten years ago, and it was through her painstaking research that the children’s remains were uncovered.
The Catholic Church attempted to wash its hands of any responsibility, claiming these were remains from Famine times (absolutely disproven) and also claiming amnesia (nuns too old to remember).
It’s a book that will make you cry and will make your blood boil all over again. A woman heavily pregnant put on the crossbar of her father’s bike to cycle 20 miles in the dark of night to a mother and baby home, under orders from the priest. The children in the Home fed slop, neglected and forcibly separated from their mothers, often adopted on their first birthday, their mothers denied the chance to say goodbye, wailing as their child was taken away. Five year old children “fostered” out to local families and made to work like slaves, one locked up in a chicken coop while the family went to the local fair.
The whitewash that was the government’s Mother and Baby Home Report last year continues to incense me and Catherine deals really well with this in the book. The report assigned blame to society at large as opposed to those who held all the power - the State and the Catholic Church. Society was firmly under the thumb of the Church and people lived in absolute fear of falling foul of its moral code.
Catherine Corless deserves all the praise that comes her way - she is a tireless campaigner, a strong and empathetic voice for survivors, a national hero. The book is deeply personal (she discusses her own family life in candid detail and it is very moving to read), easy to read and it should be mandatory reading for everyone in Ireland. 5/5 ⭐️
March 27, 2025
powerful shameful visceral stuff
January 22, 2024
A phenomenal woman. She quotes St Augustine not in relation to herself, but I think it's a great description of her work. "The truth is like a lion. You do not have to defend it. Let it loose. It can defend itself".
March 3, 2024
Catherine Corless is a phenomenal woman and this book highlights the great work she has done to uncover the truth for those innocent women and children who were let down by everyone around them.
November 6, 2021
After the formation of the Irish State one hundred years ago, provision of certain critical services for citizens - healthcare and education - was outsourced to the Catholic Church. The Church ran the schools, hospitals, care facilities and more in the ways they saw fit. So begun the sorry story of how Ireland cared for its children and its women.
Over the decades, a shameful legacy of sadness and injustice was created - mother and baby homes, Madeleine Laundries, industrial schools and clerical child abuse. Today, Ireland is struggling with how to deal with this legacy.
Catherine Corless, an amateur historian, decided to write an article about the mother and baby home in her locality in Tuam, Co. Galway. In twentieth century Ireland, when a women became pregnant outside of wedlock, such was the stigma and shame attached to it by her family and local clergy, she was brought to a mother and baby home to see out the duration of her pregnancy. Once the baby was born, both mother and baby lived at the home. After a year, the mother was “released” back into society, and the baby usually given up for fostering or adoption (sometimes after years spent in the home), with no consent given by the mother.
During her research, Corless discovered that 796 children died in the Tuam home, a disproportionally high number relative to child mortality rates at the time. She realised that a mass grave, understood by locals to be for famine victims, was actually used to bury children from the home, part of which appeared to be a septic tank.
Corless’ discovery eventually led to a formal State investigation.
The first third of the book is Corless’ personal memoirs, and in and of itself is a well written account of an Irish life, including her relationships with her distant mother and her husband who struggled with alcoholism.
The captivating middle third of the book details her research into the Tuam home and how she uncovered its tragic past.
The latter part of the book deals with the fallout from the revelations, but also how Corless found many people reaching out to her for help with tracing a relative who had been in the home, or they themselves had been born there and wanted to trace their blood family. These stories are deeply personal and relay how awful the church-state-complex was, and how it utterly failed the people it was supposed to protect.
The issues the book raises are deeper than an Instagram post can do justice to. The book is outstanding however, and should be required reading for us all in understand how we did not protect the most vulnerable among us.
Over the decades, a shameful legacy of sadness and injustice was created - mother and baby homes, Madeleine Laundries, industrial schools and clerical child abuse. Today, Ireland is struggling with how to deal with this legacy.
Catherine Corless, an amateur historian, decided to write an article about the mother and baby home in her locality in Tuam, Co. Galway. In twentieth century Ireland, when a women became pregnant outside of wedlock, such was the stigma and shame attached to it by her family and local clergy, she was brought to a mother and baby home to see out the duration of her pregnancy. Once the baby was born, both mother and baby lived at the home. After a year, the mother was “released” back into society, and the baby usually given up for fostering or adoption (sometimes after years spent in the home), with no consent given by the mother.
During her research, Corless discovered that 796 children died in the Tuam home, a disproportionally high number relative to child mortality rates at the time. She realised that a mass grave, understood by locals to be for famine victims, was actually used to bury children from the home, part of which appeared to be a septic tank.
Corless’ discovery eventually led to a formal State investigation.
The first third of the book is Corless’ personal memoirs, and in and of itself is a well written account of an Irish life, including her relationships with her distant mother and her husband who struggled with alcoholism.
The captivating middle third of the book details her research into the Tuam home and how she uncovered its tragic past.
The latter part of the book deals with the fallout from the revelations, but also how Corless found many people reaching out to her for help with tracing a relative who had been in the home, or they themselves had been born there and wanted to trace their blood family. These stories are deeply personal and relay how awful the church-state-complex was, and how it utterly failed the people it was supposed to protect.
The issues the book raises are deeper than an Instagram post can do justice to. The book is outstanding however, and should be required reading for us all in understand how we did not protect the most vulnerable among us.
July 6, 2023
Wow what an unbelievablely tragic story.
Galway native Catherine Corless liked to pursue local research in her free time. One day she decided she would research the Tuam Mother and Baby Home for an essay she was writing.
What she uncovered was the remains of 796 babies in a sewage tank.
This is the story of what subsequently unfolded.
Corless is tenacious in her quest for justice. Following the media reports, Corless was contacted by numerous survivors. She helped these survivors trace their families and reunite with their birth families. Corless simultaneously continued to campaign for justice for the 796 babies.
This book is a must read for all Irish people. Very easy and accessible to read. Highly recommend.
Galway native Catherine Corless liked to pursue local research in her free time. One day she decided she would research the Tuam Mother and Baby Home for an essay she was writing.
What she uncovered was the remains of 796 babies in a sewage tank.
This is the story of what subsequently unfolded.
Corless is tenacious in her quest for justice. Following the media reports, Corless was contacted by numerous survivors. She helped these survivors trace their families and reunite with their birth families. Corless simultaneously continued to campaign for justice for the 796 babies.
This book is a must read for all Irish people. Very easy and accessible to read. Highly recommend.
December 29, 2021
A reminder of how an ordinary person is so profoundly extraordinary. Fascinating observing a journey of discovery by someone who knew nothing of adoption, mother and baby units and 'care'. It's hard to suppress the anger that rises regardless of how much you may know about this area. Power, control and coercion dominate the soundtrack from all aspects. Catherine did fantastic research and has been celebrated and also feared for it! Well worth the read... Catherine Corless is incredible; in her compassion, her tenacity and her empathy.
December 6, 2024
Belonging was one of my non-fiction reads for November and had been sitting on my shelf for too long. This book brings to life a dark point in Irish history that thanks to the work of Catherine Corless and others was brought to light and to the attention of the public. This book really details how Catherine is a phenomenal women who stopped at nothing to get the truth out about the Tuam mother and baby home and to help the survivors of the home tell their stories. I found the book utterly heartbreaking in parts but also angry at the state still not letting some of the people have access to their files or find out the truth about the siblings and mothers. Definitely a book I think everyone should read.
Belonging essentially is a memoir of Catherine life and her search for truth and justice for the Tuam babies. She began researching the home in 2010 and soon uncovered 796 missing burial records of children born there. After searching plans of the home and various avenues Catherine found out the shocking truth that the babies were buried in a sewage tank on the grounds. This lead to more investigations by Catherine on what happened to them, and who they were which lead to her seeking justice for these babies that still continues till today. This part memoir, part investigation sheds a light on Catherine's own personal life of her mother's origin story as well as the search for the truth about the Tuam babies.
Favorite quote:
"Everyone's life is unique, but they all begin the same way."
Other books I'd recommend:
📚 Republic of Shane by Caelainn Hogan
📚 Girl in the tunnel by Maureen Sullivan
📚 Whispering Hope by Steven O'Riordan
Belonging essentially is a memoir of Catherine life and her search for truth and justice for the Tuam babies. She began researching the home in 2010 and soon uncovered 796 missing burial records of children born there. After searching plans of the home and various avenues Catherine found out the shocking truth that the babies were buried in a sewage tank on the grounds. This lead to more investigations by Catherine on what happened to them, and who they were which lead to her seeking justice for these babies that still continues till today. This part memoir, part investigation sheds a light on Catherine's own personal life of her mother's origin story as well as the search for the truth about the Tuam babies.
Favorite quote:
"Everyone's life is unique, but they all begin the same way."
Other books I'd recommend:
📚 Republic of Shane by Caelainn Hogan
📚 Girl in the tunnel by Maureen Sullivan
📚 Whispering Hope by Steven O'Riordan
March 12, 2022
This is a very heavy book, both physically and literally. Enforced disappearance of children, mostly infants and toddlers is inhumane, but it happened in Ireland, by the Catholic nuns who were supposed to care for the orphans. Being an illegitimate child is no reason to be treated cruelly either, but it happened over and over again, for decades.
July 5, 2025
Beautifully written and completely heartbreaking. Catherine Corless is an inspiration and has done so much for the survivors and the victims of Tuam. An important and brilliant book.
January 23, 2022
Always a little nervous with books like this. I should not have been - it was perfectly executed. Moving and rage-inducing in equal measure. Grounded and searingly honest in places, which added to the credibility of Catherine as she told her own story and the stories of the survivors.
Recommend this but be prepared for it to make you very very cross.
Recommend this but be prepared for it to make you very very cross.
March 15, 2025
A disturbing and heartbreaking account of the Tuam Mother & Baby Home and the disrespectful way the bodies of small children and babies were disposed of by the nuns. It is almost beyond comprehension to think that anyone could possibly not only fail to provide good care for darling little babies but even harder to believe that women would allow those babies and little children to be denied a proper burial and dump their remains into a sewer. How anyone remains in the Catholic Church is still a mystery to me. There were times when I was reading this book that I found myself in tears from the horrors these unwed mothers endured and the terrible treatment of their children. Unwed, pregnant women were sent to these "Homes" and used as slave labor by the nuns to "pay off their debt". They were allowed to care for their babies for one year at which time the mothers were thrown out or sent to Magdalene Laundries to work off a debt which seemingly had no end and the children were either sold to Catholic families in America, or if they could not be adopted, were sent to local families to act as slave labor referred to as "fostering". But many, many little ones died under the abominable care by these worthless hags where they were never hugged or cuddled and where illness was rampant. Due to the belief that babies born out of wedlock could not be buried on holy ground (another primitive Irish belief and a sin against Almighty God as he would never treat a child in such a way), their little bodies were dumped into sewer pipes and buried in various spots around the campus of the Mother & Baby Home. Catherine Corless, a great woman and true female hero, was in a writing class and was curious about the history of Tuam and planned on writing her report at the end of the year on Tuam. It was during the research that she learned of the secrecy surrounding the Home. The work she poured into this mystery is incredible. The people she met, the hurt families, those seeking their true mothers is all covered in this riveting account. Regrettably letters to the Pope went unanswered, the Bon Secours Sisters who ran the Home and other Catholics seemed uninterested in knowing the truth, leaving Catherine and her family to do much of the work. To this date, there are still families wanting answers and bodies that need proper burial. A travesty of justice! One of many caused by the Catholic Church. The devastation of mothers who left their babies behind and tried to return with money to "buy back" their babies made me so angry I have vowed never to set foot in a Catholic Church again. This is pure evil. How many more things do people need to learn about the worst of man's many evils perpetrated by the Catholic Church before waking up and shaking the dust off their feet and leaving this cult? There is no need to "work off" our sins. That is what Jesus did. But I guess when the RCC places itself in the place of God, they get to change the rules.
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July 29, 2025i followed the story about the tuam babies when it came out, but i hadn't read this then. i decided to after listening to a podcast series about them. this does sound like a completely wild story: a woman who describes herself as "ordinary", with an interest in local history, taking a night class in history which leads to her discovering that 796 babies and small children have been discarded into an old septic tank in a mother and baby home. that's mental. it's so heartbreaking. obviously, having followed some of the coverage before, i'd heard and/or read about some of this before.
but i wasn't aware of a lot of this, either. i didn't know all of the stories, which catherine corless is clearly so passionate about, or some of the detail. there's a particular moment when she found some old plans (when the home was being changed into a residential area) which made me gasp out loud.
this is obviously such a shameful indictment on how ireland treated women and children not that long ago, how it covered everything up, and how far it went to try and avoid any real accountability. it's genuinely so heartbreaking and awful. it really shows you what the power of investigation and the right person looking can bring because it seems doubtful this would have come out the way it has any without corless' involvement. it is wonderful but this is so sad!!!! this country sucks sometimes!!!!! it's no wonder there's such deep-seated mistrust of religion and the state across generations.
i don't really feel comfortable rating something like this for probably obvious reasons.
but i wasn't aware of a lot of this, either. i didn't know all of the stories, which catherine corless is clearly so passionate about, or some of the detail. there's a particular moment when she found some old plans (when the home was being changed into a residential area) which made me gasp out loud.
this is obviously such a shameful indictment on how ireland treated women and children not that long ago, how it covered everything up, and how far it went to try and avoid any real accountability. it's genuinely so heartbreaking and awful. it really shows you what the power of investigation and the right person looking can bring because it seems doubtful this would have come out the way it has any without corless' involvement. it is wonderful but this is so sad!!!! this country sucks sometimes!!!!! it's no wonder there's such deep-seated mistrust of religion and the state across generations.
i don't really feel comfortable rating something like this for probably obvious reasons.
February 15, 2024
What a fantastic book. An example of how an ordinary woman can make the difference. As a journalist I followed many of this stories like the Magdalene Laudries, or industrial schools and I find a bit difficult to reconcile this past with the Ireland I know and love. A country where people are friendly and joyfull.
How could Ireland close it's eyes to all that was happening to the women and childreen? How can Catholic Church treat human beings so coldly and with such cruelty? Many of those crimes were still being committed in the second half of the 20th century.
Portugal had a autoritarian regime until the revolution in 1974. The words that defined this regime were God, homeland and family, religion had a lot of influence in every aspects of life. After reading about Ireland's past I wanted to know what Portugal had done with single pregnant women and it was a good surprise to see that nothing like the Magdalene Laundries or Mother and Babies Homes existed in my country. Of course having childreen outside the marriage was a reason for criticism and marginalization by society but the childreen could stay with their mothers and most of the times with all their families.
How could Ireland close it's eyes to all that was happening to the women and childreen? How can Catholic Church treat human beings so coldly and with such cruelty? Many of those crimes were still being committed in the second half of the 20th century.
Portugal had a autoritarian regime until the revolution in 1974. The words that defined this regime were God, homeland and family, religion had a lot of influence in every aspects of life. After reading about Ireland's past I wanted to know what Portugal had done with single pregnant women and it was a good surprise to see that nothing like the Magdalene Laundries or Mother and Babies Homes existed in my country. Of course having childreen outside the marriage was a reason for criticism and marginalization by society but the childreen could stay with their mothers and most of the times with all their families.
January 9, 2022
A very powerful read to start my journey of books for 2022 I’m upset and angry that this poor woman went through so much to expose what them evil nuns did to all those innocent little babies and mammies when there job was supposed to be care and love not more abuse she never stopped though until she got answers even now with government admitting to what’s gone on years ago it seems it’s all empty promises and no real action has taken place reading this would make me ashamed to say I’m catholic those evil evil nuns only apologised after being shamed into doing it not for any other reasons they promised money to help with an excavation but by the end of the book it hadn’t appeared typical that the government and tusla another useless service that’s meant to protect children let them all down and continue to do until this day defintley not a book to read of your not feeling strong and emotionally able to but an amazing an very informative book
June 6, 2022
I had seen the documentary on the Missing Children of Tuam so this was the logical book to read and it was extremely well done. The author Catherine, spends many opening chapters explaining growing up in Ireland when the Maternity Hospital was open and through her own experiences she lays bare her life which was not easy but it set the context needed. How the Catholic Church has not helped the victims and continues to shield the awful nuns who were nowhere near holy women, is absolutely obscene and the Irish Govt. stalling until everyone involved is dead is disgusting. Bring those baby bones up and give them a decent burial. It left me so angry at a country I have visited often and loved.
January 21, 2022
An amazing and thoughtful book about injustice to women and children on mid 20th century Ireland. How much the RC church must have hated these young women who had 'brought shame' on their families! And taken out their feelings and beliefs on babies and toddlers. I'm not sure that we are any further forward in our thinking now. Of course, 'every child a wanted child' is a great ambition but incest, rape and just bad luck do happen and women should not be stigmatised but have full control over their bodies and babies. A well written book , with passion breaking through, and, as at January 2022, still nothing done!
January 23, 2022
Harrowing. I had to take my time reading this as I was so incensed by how my native country treated women and their children in the mother and baby homes. Catherine Corless is a truly amazing woman fighting for those poor babies and the survivors she has met over the years.
The book consists of over eighty short chapters written in chronological order which clearly chronicles Catherine's life and the years she has spent researching and lobbying Galway County Council, Tusla, the various government departments etc. It is an important read that exposes the shameful maltreatment of women and children in the mother and baby home in Tuam committed by the Bon Secours order.
The book consists of over eighty short chapters written in chronological order which clearly chronicles Catherine's life and the years she has spent researching and lobbying Galway County Council, Tusla, the various government departments etc. It is an important read that exposes the shameful maltreatment of women and children in the mother and baby home in Tuam committed by the Bon Secours order.
February 13, 2023
Ireland had a number of mother and baby homes where unwed pregnant women gave birth, stayed on for a year, and then had to leave without their child. The author uncovers the truth about conditions in one home that were dreadful, a home run by Catholic nuns. Nearly 800 children died and were placed in what seems to be a sewage tank. The author's determination for years to get this story and then to get it to the right individuals is admirable, her voice is strong and heartfelt, and the damage to those children and their families must be addressed.
October 17, 2025
Wasn’t sure I could read this book knowing the subject matter but thought it was a story that deserved to be read .. it was so well written and heart breaking all at the same time , I couldn’t put it down. Coming from an Irish catholic background, it makes me feel ashamed to be any part of these heinous acts that happened under the guise of religion !! the treatment of these babies , children and mothers is heartbreaking , thanks for telling their stories they deserve to be acknowledged and worthy of recognition.
August 21, 2025
page turner
I had head bout the babies of Tuam. This an incredible story of the survivors and all the child that were lost.
Shipping away a person single and pregnant. Regardless of how the pregnancy happened. Hit shows the history of how the Catholic Church treated unwed mother. It a relief to hear the true story stories that happened to real women. Thank you Catherine Corliss for being a voice for 798 children who never got to live in this world.
I had head bout the babies of Tuam. This an incredible story of the survivors and all the child that were lost.
Shipping away a person single and pregnant. Regardless of how the pregnancy happened. Hit shows the history of how the Catholic Church treated unwed mother. It a relief to hear the true story stories that happened to real women. Thank you Catherine Corliss for being a voice for 798 children who never got to live in this world.
December 31, 2021
This book gets fives stars for the bravery of Catherine deciding to tell her own highly personal story, and also to celebrate her tenaciousness in not being fobbed off with excuses with regard to the babies discarded at the Tuam Home. Your blood will boil at the history of church influence on people’s lives to such detrimental outcomes. A must-read.
January 31, 2022
Heartbreaking memoir. I feel every school in Ireland should have this on their curriculum for our generation and future generations to see the shocking an cruel treatment women and children received in the Mother & Baby homes, and their fight for justice still goes on. Catherine Corless is a hero for bringing the truth into the public eye.
August 2, 2022
Catherine Corless's unrelenting fight for justice for the Tuam Babies is remarkable. Her tenacity to keep going and not be fobbed off by bureaucracy is rentless. Despite being a shy person who would rather be anywhere but in the limelight she soldiers on and her empathy for all the victims (Mothers and babies) shines through.
April 28, 2025
Extraordinary investigative reporting shared with deep compassion and phenomenal commitment about an outrageous chapter in Irish history. Rarely does a book draw me in and take me on an emotional ride with lots of unforeseen twists. Kudos to Catherine Corless and narrator Caitriona Hinds. Just brilliant.
October 21, 2021
Catherine Corless is a lioness
You can say this book is an impassioned plea for justice but the dignity and attention to detail it contains leaves is in no doubt about the need for its writing.
You can say this book is an impassioned plea for justice but the dignity and attention to detail it contains leaves is in no doubt about the need for its writing.
January 5, 2023
A heartbreaking, harrowing, honest memoir of a remarkable woman and her fight for justice for the 798 babies who died at Tuam.
I read this in less than twenty four hours yet it is a book which will stick with me far beyond today.
I read this in less than twenty four hours yet it is a book which will stick with me far beyond today.
March 30, 2024
Incredably tough to read this book, but Catherine Corless and Naomi Linehan writes a very important book regarding the Tuam babies. The addition of a memoir wrapped into the story adds a lot to the book.
August 20, 2025
Watching the news one day this topic came up. I decided to look into it more. What a tragic story and very intriguing. I feel that this book calls for us to be more humane towards one another and really care for each other.
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