Three of campaigner Catherine Corless’s grand children will feature in the forth coming Liam Neeson-produced film about the former Tuam mother and baby home.
The Lost Children Of Tuam will tell the story of how Corless’s research led to the discovery of children’s remains in a disused sewage tank at the former home, as first disclosed in the Irish Mail on Sunday in May 2014.
Ms Corless this week told Extra.ie: ‘Some of our own grand children got little parts and it was so beautiful to see that.
‘The part where the two young boys found the remains back in the Seventies, that was a scene in the film and one of my grandchildren did that.’
Another scene in the film will feature her two grand daughters.
‘Two of them did the sweet scene. You know that story – I hate talking about it – where I offered the child a sweet and there was a stone in the wrapper?
The Lost Children Of Tuam will tell the story of how Corless’s research led to the discovery of children’s remains in a disused sewage tank at the former home. Pic: Sean Dwyer
‘My two grandchildren, two little girls, played that scene. One of them was me and one of them was the home baby.
‘It was lovely and they took it in their stride. They were fantastic, they were really. It caused so much excitement for them, the hype all during October [when they were filming]. It was lovely. And they really enjoyed it.’
Ms Corless – a local historian whose research established that 796 children had died at the home – has described several times how guilty she feels about the sweet trick.
She also said the Bafta award winning actress Monica Dolan, who plays her in the film, was ‘absolutely brilliant’.
‘I can say that Monica Dolan who played me, I couldn’t look at her because she’s so like me. She played it so well, the bits that I saw on the small screen, you know, when they were filming.
‘She just put her heart and soul into it. She wanted the kind of clothes I had; she wanted to see how I sat at the table. I was nearly looking at myself. She was absolutely brilliant, a lovely person. I’m delighted they got her.’
Filming on the project, produced by Oscar winning Element Pictures, wrapped in October and the editing is expected to finish at the end of January.
Ms Corless said she is in the dark about a release date but expects it to be around late spring.
‘There’s another month editing. They said there would be three months editing in total,’ she said.
‘Then they will show it in a private showing to us and then they will send it on to the festivals.’
The film has been seven years in the making after Hollywood star Liam Neeson bought the rights back in 2018. It was shot on location in Ireland this autumn, with the filmmakers on site in Tuam between September and November.