It is hard to believe that almost a decade has passed since Catherine Corless first appeared on our pages, on our TV screens, on our radios, telling us a story that defied the prevailing logic. It was a story that resonated around the world.
It was only when we listed the names of those 796 children on our pages that you could feel the humanity of each of them. The names, all of their time. Martins and Williams and Sarahs and Kates and Ellens. The surnames, the type you would see and hear in every village across the west of Ireland. These children were all at one stage, brought together by a twist of fate and inhumanity, destined to live and perhaps die at the one place. Never to know a life outside of the shame, never to have the opportunities that their compatriots outside those walls were to experience.
I am fond of Tuam, having worked there for a decade. It is a town of great history and yore; of words and music; of civic and royalty. It’s tale too has often been a sad one.
This week, Galway GAA announced that work will commence soon on the demolition of the old stand roof in Tuam Stadium. It was of its time and that time has long past. Soon, due to the generosity of Joe and Helen O’Toole, both deceased, people who watch sport in that old stadium will do so in comfortable seating, under a roof that does not leak. The old shed in Tuam Stadium is long associated with the ground, and its passing will not result in the shedding of any tears. The new one, when complete, will ensure a clean new look for the ground which we hope will continue to be a happy hunting ground for our sportspeople. In time, this new structure will become a symbol of the new Tuam.
However, over the next few years, the excavation at Tuam will put a focus on the town. The process will be one of the most delicate and complex forensic operations ever conducted in this country. We hope it will result in the restoration of the dignity of those who perished in that home and were interred there without respect. We wish all the families and technicians involved in this, the strength and the humanity to see the task through.
