The harrowing history of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, is the focus of a new film, The Lost Children of Tuam. The institution, which housed unmarried mothers and their children between 1925 and 1961, became a subject of international scrutiny in 2014 after local amateur historian Catherine Corless uncovered that 796 children had died there without any recorded burials. After local historian Catherine Corless discovered there were 796 death certificates for children and babies who died there, but no burial records, it came to international attention in 2014. It shows the diversity between people in power and ordinary people like myself struggling to get a story out there that I knew was true, I had all the evidence,” she said. Not for the film exactly, also the excavation in Tuam is going ahead and the exhumation, i really had to fight for it to come to this stage.
Actor Liam Neeson became involved in bringing this story to the big screen after reading a 2017 article in the New York Times. The piece documented the research journey of Corless, which reportedly left the actor in a state of quiet rage. Neeson subsequently reached out to the historian through journalist Dan Barry to secure her permission to develop the project, eventually taking on a role as a co-producer.
The film, directed by Frank Berry, follows the personal campaign undertaken by Corless as she navigated the persistent silence from both church and state officials. Corless has praised the production for its accuracy, noting that the filmmakers remained deeply committed to the truth of the events she uncovered. She remarked that the film effectively captures the struggle of an ordinary person confronting powerful institutions to bring hidden facts to light.
English actor Monica Dolan stars as Corless, a performance the historian described as fantastic. Corless noted that Dolan went to great lengths to master a local Galway accent and accurately portray the emotional exhaustion and intensity of the investigative work. She expressed amazement at how well the actress managed to capture the essence of her personal experience and the relentless nature of her search for justice. According to the way the film is done, it’s just true to life,” Corless, Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, describing it as “fantastic”. Very well in the film, it’s something I had to keep working on and that’s portrayed very.
Efforts to address the site’s history continue today, with a team currently engaged in excavations. In June, authorities confirmed that an additional eight sets of infant remains were located, bringing the total number of recovered remains to 77. For Corless, these findings are a vindication of her years spent challenging the long-standing denials from authorities regarding the mistreatment and loss of life at the home. I fought years with the denial from authorities that anything wrong happened,” Corless said.
The project has already garnered significant recognition, winning the Best Irish Film Award at the 38th Galway Film Fleadh this past July. The Lost Children of Tuam premiered in Irish cinemas on 25 September and is slated for release in the United Kingdom on 9 October.
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