Siblings abandoned in phone boxes in Louth featured in RTÉ documentary

A powerful new RTÉ documentary, The Phone Box Babies, tells the extraordinary true story of three siblings, including two in Louth, who were abandoned as newborns in the 1960s. Helen Ward was discovered in a phone box in Dundalk in 1968, while John Dowling was found in a phone box in Drogheda in 1965. Decades later, DNA testing revealed the two were not only connected to each other, but also to a third sibling, David McBride, who was left in a car in Belfast. The documentary follows their emotional journey to uncover the truth about their shared past.

This new documentary airing on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player 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. David McBride, born in 1962, was left in a car in a Belfast driveway. John Dowling, born in 1965, was found in a Drogheda phone box. Helen Ward, born in 1968, was discovered in a Dundalk phone box. Each was adopted and raised in different parts of Ireland.

In 2020, David and Helen discovered they were brother and sister through DNA technology and were reunited on the ITV series Long Lost Family. 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.

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, 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.

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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 airs on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Wednesday 2 July at 9:35pm