Three siblings abandoned as babies long to hear more of their Kerry connections

Irish Independent

04-07-2025

David McBride, Helen Ward and John Dowling were all abandoned as new-born babies in the 1960s and have rediscovered each other despite all the odds and have now also made significant discoveries about their parents – including their mother Marcella Somers.
Their mother was a Catholic woman from north Kerry, while their father was a protestant shop-keeper from Dublin, Billy Watson.
He was a married man with 14 children, who was in a secret relationship with their mother, an affair spanning more than 40 years. They were seen together in Dublin in 1993 before he died at the age of 82.
Their mother passed away in 2017, aged 90 and is buried in north Kerry.
Their love affair in 1960s Ireland led to the what the siblings believe was a difficult and heart-breaking decision to abandon all three of them to give them new homes.
They are known as foundlings, given all three were left in locations they would be immediately found in.
All three grew up in happy homes and just in recent years, through appeals and DNA, discovered each other's existence. But they too discovered more details about their biological parents, including their Kerry mother who lived in Dublin for much of her life.
Their amazing story was recounted in The Phone Box Babies, a new documentary on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player this week.
Helen Ward, born in 1968, was discovered by Macroom lorry driver Donal Boyle on the floor of a phone box on the Dublin Road in Dundalk and was adopted, aged 13 months, by the Ward family in Dublin, where she had a happy childhood.
David McBride, who was left in a car belonging to a doctor's wife in a Belfast driveway in 1962 and ultimately adopted by William and Emma McBride, grew up in Lisburn. He now lives in Birmingham.
Another brother 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, also in phone box, and was given up for his adoption.
Helen called Joe Duffy's Liveline to share her story in the hope of finding out more about her background, when she was 44, setting of a train of events that saw her reunited with David on on a special edition of ITV documentary Long Lost Family in 2020. They were also reunited with John after his daughter saw the programme.
The three siblings also believe there may be a fourth child and they would love to meet them.
It was a funny moment sitting in the chair where she sat and I could reflect on life through her eyes
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. It follows them as the reconnect with extended family and learn about their parents.
For all three siblings a visit to Kilcara nursing home in Duagh where their mother spent the last years of her life helped them learn about the woman who was forced to abandon them, as staff their recalled her love of music and singing.
They recalled a special doll that belonged to her which was always with her and maybe have been a symbol of the children she had to give up.
Helen said the moment when she sits in her mother's chair in the nursing home resonated with her.
"It was a funny moment sitting in the chair where she sat and I could reflect on life through her eyes. I was sitting somewhere she very much spend her last years,' she said.
She said life must have been difficult for their mother and it was not an easy decision to give her three children but none of born ill will towards her or their father.
"It can't have been easy but understanding of that time in the '60s," said Helen.
And now they have visited Kerry, they would love to hear more stories and learn of more connections.
I would love people that knew her to reach out with stories and give us further insight into her. There are things we don't know
Speaking to The Kerryman, Helen said she understands that this is a difficult journey for everyone involved and many may not want to speak out and may need time to process the situation they would always love to hear about their mother if people are comfortable.
"For me personally I think I would love people that knew her to reach out with stories and give us further insight into her. There are things we don't know.'
"She died in 2017 but maybe stories have been passed down through generations.'
She said they have been 'very lucky' so many have shared stories, including snooker legend Ken Doherty whose mother was good friends with Marcella and said she was always full of fun.
This too was recounted by their cousin Elizabeth, who stayed in contact with their mother and shared her stories of the Kerry woman and her love of life and music.