The Queensland Irish Association is encouraging Brisbane’s Irish community to see The Lost Children of Tuam, a powerful Irish historical drama screening as part of the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival on Tuesday, 24 November.
The QIA is working with the festival to promote the screening to its members and the wider Irish community, with the film telling the remarkable story of amateur historian Catherine Corless, whose painstaking research uncovered one of the darkest chapters in modern Irish history.
Produced by Irish actor Liam Neeson, the film stars BAFTA-winning actress Monica Dolan as Corless, the Tuam local whose investigation into the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home exposed disturbing gaps in the records of hundreds of children who died there.
While researching the institution for a local historical society, Corless began examining thousands of records and discovered that death certificates existed for hundreds of children, but corresponding burial records could not be found.
Her determination to establish what happened to the children brought international attention to the Tuam home in County Galway and helped spark a wider investigation into Ireland’s mother and baby homes.
Directed by Frank Berry and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, the film follows Corless as she pursues the truth despite resistance and silence from powerful institutions. It is based on the 2017 New York Times article by journalist Dan Barry.
The film also features Andrew Bennett and Ian McElhinney and received recognition at the 2026 Galway Film Fleadh.
The story has particular significance for Irish communities in Australia, many of whom have followed the revelations surrounding the mother and baby homes and the continuing efforts to establish the truth for former residents, survivors and families.
The QIA is encouraging members and anyone interested in Irish history to support the festival screening and take the opportunity to see this important story brought to the screen.
SCREENING DETAILS
Film: The Lost Children of Tuam
Date: Tuesday, 24 November 2026
Time: 4pm
Venue: Palace Barracks Cinema, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane
Tickets: $23 adult / $20 concession
Tickets and further information are available through the British Film Festival website.
