220km walk of remembrance to honour the babies of Tuam and Bessborough

From Tuam to Bessborough with Love is a three-day commemorative walk that will take place from Friday, August 21 to Sunday, August 23, 2026, connecting the former Tuam Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, with the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Institution in County Cork.

The walk is being led by Anne Fahey Ronayne in partnership with A Little Light of Love Team, to extend this artery of love down to Bessborough in Cork to remember all 923 children and babies still missing, by walking from the Tuam site to Bessborough site, a little under 220km.

On January 1, 2023, Anne Fahey Ronayne of Irishtown, began her task to complete 796 climbs of Knockma Hill the great Hill of Maeve, situated eight kilometres west of Tuam, in honour of the 796 children and babies who died at St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Institute, Tuam. Anne completed the last steps of her challenging climbs on Saturday, July 26, 2025.

Every November from 2020 to 2024, the Little Light of Love relay of walkers carried a lantern from Jack’s Old Cottage in Islandeady to the Tuam Mother and Baby Home where the lantern was reverently placed at the babies’ remembrance site.

A Little Light of Love walkers remembered all 796 missing babies and children from the Tuam Mother and Baby Institution annually each November until the site officially closed for exhumations of these missing children and babies.

Throughout the walk from Tuam to Bessborough, which will be led by Anne Fahey Ronayne, participants will carry the Little Light of Love lantern, representing hope, love and the enduring belief that every baby and child deserves to be remembered with dignity.

At the heart of the journey is a simple but profoundly meaningful act of remembrance. As the walkers make their way from Tuam to Bessborough, they will speak aloud the name of every baby, together with their age and the date on which they died. Every name will be spoken with care and respect, ensuring that each child is remembered as an individual whose life mattered.

The walk seeks to symbolically connect two places forever linked by a shared history, while honouring the babies who died at both institutions. It is a journey of remembrance, reflection, compassion and hope, undertaken in the spirit of light and love.

The walk also seeks to raise awareness that many of the babies who died at both the Tuam and Bessborough Mother and Baby Institutions remain buried in unmarked graves. By connecting these two places through a journey of remembrance, the organisers hope to encourage continued reflection on this chapter of Ireland’s history while affirming the dignity of every child and every family affected.

Speaking ahead of the walk, Anne Fahey Ronayne said: “From Tuam to Bessborough with Love is more than a walk, it is a promise that these children will not be forgotten. Every step we take is for the babies whose lives were so tragically cut short. As we walk the 220 kilometres, we will speak every baby’s name aloud, together with their age and the day they died. We want every child to be acknowledged, remembered and honoured. This journey is about connecting two places through remembrance, compassion and love, while giving each child the dignity of hearing their name spoken once again.”

Valerie Jennings, founder of A Little Light of Love, said: It’s time again to remember these mothers, children and little babies, this time 923 in all. This walk has nothing to do with politics or religion, just in remembrance of the beautiful babies, the precious mothers and the brave survivors.”

“We need to remember them all. The purpose of this walk is an extension of an artery of love from Tuam to Bessborough. Our lantern carries a message of hope and compassion for children and families whose stories deserve to be told. We are honoured to join Anne on this journey from Tuam to Bessborough.”

Members of the public are warmly invited to support the walkers along the route or to join them for sections of the journey. Communities are encouraged to welcome the walkers as they pass through towns and villages, standing together in remembrance and helping to honour the memory of the babies of Tuam and Bessborough.

‘From Tuam to Bessborough with Love’ is not simply a walk between two places, it is a journey that connects the memory of two groups of children through compassion, dignity and remembrance. It is a call to remember every child by name and to ensure that their stories continue to be told with respect, humanity and love.