Remarkable story of re-united siblings who were abandoned in Louth phone boxes as babies told in new RTE documentary

Irish Independent

26-06-2025

The new documentary traces the lives of the babies who were adopted by families in different parts of the country and later discovered that they were in fact full siblings.
John Dowling was just a few days old when he was found in May 1965 by Drogheda journalist Paul Murphy and his friend Pat Bailey, both members of Blessed Oliver Plunkett Drama Group, at Laurence Street on their way home from a John B Keane play rehearsal. He was cared for in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital before being given up for adoption. The former Drogheda Independent editor is one of the people interviewed in this new documentary.
Helen Ward, born in 1968, was discovered by lorry driver Donal Boyle on the floor of a phonebox on the Dublin Road, near Ladywell Terrace, on Dundalk's Dublin Road. He alerted the gardai and she was brought by Sergeant Michael Connolly to the nearby Louth County Hospital where she was cared for before being moved to St Clare's Nursing Home in Stamullen, Co Meath. From there she was adopted, aged 13 months, by the Ward family in Dublin, where she had a happy childhood.
On what she believed was her 44th birthday, she called Joe Duffy's Liveline to share her story in the hope of finding out more about her background.
Her story, and that of a third baby, David McBride, who was left in a car belonging to a doctor's wife in a Belfast driveway in 1962, were featured on a special edition of ITV documentary Long Lost Family in 2020 when thanks to DNA technology, it was revealed that David and Helen are full siblings
To their shock and joy, they subsequently found John, a third full sibling.
They believe there is a fourth sibling out there and are hoping this documentary will encourage that person to get in touch.
This new documentary uncovers details about the babies' parents, where they came from, and why they were given up. Fifty years later, as adults, they discover their connection to each other and embark on an emotional journey to uncover their identities.
United in their desire to uncover more of the truth about their family and the circumstances surrounding their parents' decision to abandon them, the documentary follows the siblings as they uncover untold stories that reflect the Ireland of the past.
Their mother was a young Catholic woman from the Republic of Ireland who, in the 1940s, began a affair with a married Protestant man from Northern Ireland, who was 17 years her senior and had 14 children of his own. This affair endured for decades and, in that time, David, John, and Helen were born – and given up.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking about the documentary, Helen Ward said: "This documentary has opened up the lines of communication about our biological parents, with people willing to share their stories. I hope the documentary fosters understanding and empathy, especially about what it's like to have to question your roots. I hope it encourages people to be open and receptive to helping others with similar experiences. The longing for connection with family is valid and deeply human." With both biological parents now deceased, the siblings confront painful truths about their parents' complex relationship and the impact of this abandonment on their own lives. They face a challenging journey in their quest for answers, but with the support of newly discovered half-siblings and family friends (including snooker legend Ken Doherty), they remain determined to unearth the buried secrets of their family's past, in the hope that it will bring them closer together.
The Phone Box Babies will air Wednesday July 2 at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.