New Delhi, June 19 -- After more than a decade of tireless research and ridicule, Catherine Corless-the historian who uncovered the burial site of nearly 800 babies at Tuam, County Galway, beneath a former Irish home for unwed mothers-is finally seeing justice take root.

Excavation crews began work this week at the grounds of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, marking a major turning point in one of Ireland's darkest historical reckonings.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Corless reflected on her struggle to bring the truth to light. "It's just beginning to dawn on me now," she said. "It has taken a while to sink in."

Her work first gained national attention in 2014, when she uncovered death certificates for 796 ...