Khthon documents mass graves, atrocity crimes, and forensic evidence from conflict zones worldwide. Our work is strictly humanitarian and apolitical.
This site may contain imagery and descriptions of deceased individuals, violent injuries, and human remains gathered in the course of active investigations. Content is presented for accountability and documentation purposes only.
Khthon documents mass graves, atrocity crimes, and forensic evidence from conflict zones worldwide. Our work is strictly humanitarian and apolitical.
This site may contain imagery and descriptions of deceased individuals, violent injuries, and human remains gathered in the course of active investigations.
Country / Region Overview
Ireland's mass grave cases centre on the legacy of Catholic Church–run Mother and Baby Homes — institutions where unmarried women were confined and their children subjected to neglect, illness, and profound stigma.
At Tuam in County Galway, local research uncovered the deaths of nearly 800 children between 1925 and 1961, without burial records. Excavations later confirmed that many children had been buried in underground chambers originally associated with sewage treatment. The state responded by creating a dedicated office under the Institutional Burials Act 2022 to oversee excavation, recovery, and respectful reburial. Work began in July 2025 and has drawn international attention as a landmark effort to address institutional violence hidden in plain sight for decades.
"The confrontation with these graves is not only about uncovering the dead but also about listening to the living while their voices remain."
— Khthon Field Assessment
At Sean Ross Abbey in County Tipperary, investigators confirmed infant burials in the site's so-called Angels' Plot, with evidence of coffins present, though the question remains whether all children who died there are buried within the officially recognised boundary. At Bessborough in County Cork — one of the largest homes, with over 900 recorded infant deaths — the full extent and location of burials remains contested and partially unresolved. Survivors and advocates continue to call for broader assessment of anomalies beyond officially recognised burial grounds.
For Khthon, these Irish cases highlight two intertwined challenges: technical and human. GEOINT methods — layering historic maps and architectural records over drone imagery, detecting surface disturbances, guiding archaeologists with precision — are indispensable for confirming graves. But equally critical is human testimony. Aging witnesses and living survivors hold knowledge of practices and locations that may never otherwise surface. Their memories, combined with geospatial analysis, provide the essential bridge between evidence on the ground and the wider reckoning now unfolding with the Church.
1922–1998
Mother and Baby Homes operate across Ireland
Eighteen Mother and Baby Homes and County Homes operate across Ireland during this period, run by religious orders including the Bon Secours Sisters, the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, and the Sisters of Mercy. Unmarried mothers are confined, often under coercion from families or the state. Their children face high mortality rates from malnutrition, disease, and neglect, and are buried with minimal documentation.
1975
Bessborough — final closure
Bessborough House in County Cork — operated by the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary — closes after decades as one of Ireland's largest Mother and Baby Homes. Over 900 infant deaths are later recorded there. The location and extent of infant burials remains only partially resolved, with ground surveys indicating possible burial anomalies beyond the known plot. Bessborough is among the highest-priority unresolved sites.
1993
Catherine Corless begins research — Tuam
Local historian Catherine Corless begins investigating the Tuam Mother and Baby Home in County Galway, run by the Bon Secours Sisters. Cross-referencing death records with burial sites, she finds nearly 800 children recorded as dead with no corresponding burial records in local cemeteries. Her findings, initially dismissed, later trigger a national scandal and state investigation.
2014
Underground chambers discovered at Tuam
A local historian's published findings lead to physical investigation of the Tuam site. Ground surveys reveal an underground sewage infrastructure repurposed as a burial location. Skeletal remains of infants and young children are found in chambers originally associated with the septic system. The discovery generates international coverage and pressure for state action.
2015–2021
Commission of Investigation — Mother and Baby Homes
The Irish Government establishes the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. Over six years it examines 18 institutions. Its final report, published in January 2021, documents over 9,000 child deaths, confirms the Tuam septic tank burial site, and acknowledges widespread abuse and neglect — though its handling of testimony from survivors is criticised by advocacy groups as inadequate.
2022
Institutional Burials Act enacted
The Irish Government passes the Institutional Burials Act 2022, establishing a dedicated office — the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention — with powers to excavate, recover, and ensure respectful reburial of remains from institutional sites. Tuam is designated as the first site for intervention. The Act is a landmark piece of legislation acknowledging state responsibility for institutional burials.
July 2025
Excavations begin at Tuam
Physical excavation of the Tuam site commences under the Institutional Burials Act. The process combines archaeological methods, forensic anthropology, and ground-penetrating radar surveys. Remains are recovered and subject to identification processes. The excavation draws international attention as the first formal state-led intervention at an Irish institutional burial site.
Ongoing
Khthon methodology — GEOINT and survivor testimony
For Khthon, Ireland represents a critical case where GEOINT methods — layering historic Ordnance Survey maps and architectural records over drone and LiDAR imagery, detecting surface disturbances, and guiding archaeologists with precision — are combined with human testimony from aging survivors. Sites like Sean Ross Abbey and Bessborough remain partially unresolved, with Khthon advocating for expanded ground assessment beyond officially recognised boundaries.
Browse Khthon's full catalogue of country and case reports across seven global regions, or get involved with our ongoing investigations.
