All about Catherine Corless

Catherine Corless is an amazing woman who has done a lot of good in the world. She was born in Ireland and grew up in a small town called Tuam. Catherine was always very curious and loved learning new things.

When Catherine got older, she became a historian. She wanted to uncover the truth about something that happened a long time ago in her town. She discovered that a long time ago, there was a place called a Mother and Baby Home where unmarried mothers and their babies were sent. Sadly, many babies didn't survive and were buried without anyone knowing.

Catherine worked very hard to find out what happened to these babies. She talked to many people and researched old records. She discovered that there were a lot more babies buried than people knew about. She made sure their stories were heard and their lives were not forgotten.

Because of Catherine's hard work, the government in Ireland started an investigation into what happened at the Mother and Baby Home. They wanted to make sure that something like this would never happen again.

Catherine Corless is a hero because she cared about those babies and wanted them to be remembered. She showed us that one person can make a big difference in the world. We can all learn from her and remember to be kind and fight for what is right.

  1. Why is Catherine Corless described as an amazing woman?
  2. Where did Catherine grow up?
  3. What did Catherine want to uncover about her town?
  4. Why did Catherine research old records?
  5. What did the government in Ireland do because of Catherine's hard work?

A Visit to Tuam

Hi everyone, my name is Ava and I'm 8 years old. Today I want to tell you about an amazing visit I had with my family to a place called Tuam. It's a small town in Ireland, and it's famous because of a very special person named Catherine Corless.

We went to Tuam because my mom heard about Catherine Corless and the important work she did. She discovered that there were a lot of children who were buried in a place called the Mother and Baby Home, and no one knew about them. She worked really hard to make sure their stories were heard, and now people from all over the world come to see the place where she made such a big difference.

When we arrived in Tuam, we visited a tourist attraction that was influenced by Catherine Corless. It's called the "Field of Tears" and it's a special garden dedicated to the memory of the children who were buried there. There were beautiful flowers and statues, and it felt very peaceful and calm.

  1. Why did Ava's family visit Tuam?
  2. Who is Catherine Corless and what did she do?
  3. What is the Mother and Baby Home?
  4. What is the "Field of Tears"?
  5. How did the garden make Ava feel?

Catherine Corless Fact Finder

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Your Turn...

After learning all about Catherine Corless, your job is to create a timeline of her life. You should add all the important events in her life but you can be inventive and add some interesting things that people might like to read about. You can make it as simply as you like with pen and paper or you can be very inventive and create a 3D diorama or hanging banner. The sky's the limit - go for it!
Slideshow - Catherine Corless
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