Latest news with #DavidMcBride
Irish Independent
04-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Three siblings abandoned as babies long to hear more of their Kerry connections
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.
Extra.ie
27-06-2025
- General
- Extra.ie
Irish phone box siblings search for long-lost brother
Three babies, who were all abandoned in different parts of Ireland, have revealed their hidden connection and why they believe there may be one more person just like them. Each of the babies was discovered in the 1960s by random passersby – two in phone boxes and one in a car – without any identifying information or clue to their origins. A new documentary airing next week on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player has uncovered details about the babies' parents and why they were given up. A newspaper clipping from the 1960s. Pic: RTÉ Fifty years later, as adults, they have discovered their connection to each other and are embarking 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 by a lorry driver in a Dundalk phone box. Driver Donal Boyle, who was 26 at the time, recalled: 'I opened the door of the phone box and there was a tartan shopping bag. I saw the bag moving and I said to myself, it's either someone dumped their pups or their kittens. David McBride. Pic: RTÉ 'And I opened the bag and there was the baby girl inside. The bottle was warm and she was well-wrapped up… but I don't know if she would have survived the night or not, it was so cold.' Each baby was adopted and raised in different parts of Ireland. In 2020, David McBride and Helen Ward discovered they were brother and sister through DNA technology and were reunited on the ITV series Long Lost Family. Helen Ward. Pic: RTÉ They were saddened to learn their parents had since died, but to their shock and joy, they subsequently found John Dowling, a third full sibling. They now believe there is a fourth sibling and are hoping this documentary will encourage that person to get in touch. Ms Ward said there were reports of a baby boy found in Newry in 1963, in a phonebox. John Dowling. Pic: RTÉ 'There's that strong possibility that this person could be part of our journey too,' she said. The Phone Box Babies airs on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player next Wednesday, July 2, at 9.35pm.
RTÉ News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
RTÉ's Summer Slate of Documentaries Unveiled
Showcasing Unique Irish Stories and Exploring Irish Life Natasha O'Brien, the young Limerick woman featured in the documentary Natasha, now streaming on RTÉ Player RTÉ has today announced details of its summer line-up of home-grown documentaries airing across RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, showcasing both modern and historical stories which are uniquely Irish. From the harrowing journey of assault survivor Natasha O'Brien, to exploring the fate of Ireland's dwindling missionaries, to a deep dive into NORAID, and an in-depth look at the lives of Buddhists in Beara, a broad range of intriguing one-off documentaries and documentary series will air on RTÉ across the summer months. Natasha Wednesday 25 June 9.35pm Having survived a violent assault by a serving soldier—who was convicted but walked free with a suspended sentence—Natasha O'Brien, a young Limerick woman, refuses to stay silent. Her public outcry against the lenient ruling ignites national protests and forces a reckoning with how the Irish justice system treats survivors of gender-based violence. This powerful, intimate documentary follows Natasha and is a portrayal of how the aftermath of a violent attack and the subsequent strain of the flawed justice system affects a young woman's life and how she attempts to transform her trauma into activism. The Phone Box Babies Wednesday 2 July, 9.35 pm The Phone Box Babies reveals new insights into the lives and identities of three newborn babies abandoned in the 1960s in different parts of Ireland. The babies were discovered by random passersby in phone boxes, and in a car, without any identifying information or clue to their origins. 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. 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. NORAID: Irish America & The IRA Begins on Wednesday 9 July, 9.35 pm A gripping new two-part documentary that tells the astonishing story of the role played by Irish Americans during the conflict in Northern Ireland: fundraising, propagandising and gun-running. NORAID: Irish America & the IRA, tells of a body of Irish Americans who acted as the Republican movement's voice in the United States of America throughout that period. Told through first-hand accounts and using exclusive archive sources, the series looks at how Irish-America went from collecting money in bars in the Bronx to pressing the Presidential Candidate, Bill Clinton, during the 1992 primaries - lobbying which led to a key turning point in the nascent Peace Process: a US Visa for the then President of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams. Listen to the Land Speak Listen to the Land Speak sees Manchán Magan reveal the profound knowledge and wisdom contained in our landscape and myths and explore how they have shaped the way we look at the world. Filmed over four seasons, the film unfolds from Winter Solstice to Bealtaine through Reek Sunday to Samhain. Along his journey, he meets respected archaeologists, mythologists, writers and shamans that offer different perspectives on how our ancestors related to the land and landscape around them. It also becomes an unexpectedly personal story - as he seeks to help heal society's relationship with nature - Manchán also realises that there is a serious illness within himself that makes him see these ancient sites and beliefs in a whole new light. Don't Forget to Remember This unconventional documentary from Ross Killeen (Love Yourself Today) is an emotive human story featuring the artist Asbestos and his journey through the slow decay of his mother's memories as they disintegrate due to her advancing Alzheimer's disease. His work represents the fragility of memory in images, which are themselves fragile and transient. Together Killeen and Asbestos consider the brittleness of memory and find that even though Alzheimer's brings elements of disintegration and destruction, the memories we have of our loved ones will endure and last, even if they've disintegrated in the mind of the sufferer. The work is at once a moving portrait of one woman's memory loss, but also a celebration of a loving family coming together in the face of this condition. The Last Irish Missionaries Bryan Dobson and Dearbhail McDonald chart the unique evolution of the Irish missionary movement, from religious colonialism to heroic acts of self-sacrifice and philanthropy; from a flourishing of Irish 'soft power', to tawdry scandals of abuse and cover-up. Today, the Irish missionary chapter is drawing to a close. Ireland's last missionaries are nearly all elderly - what will be their legacy? And who, if anyone, will take their place? Dearbhail and Bryan explore why so many Irish priests, nuns, lay people and other religious felt called to spread the Gospel to the farthest reaches of the world. They also hear firsthand about their experiences and the impact of those individuals worldwide. The Last Irish Missionaries is produced with funding from Coimisiún na Meán's Sound & Vision Fund. The Breaking Wave - The Buddhists of Beara This feature-length film tells the remarkable story of Dzogchen Beara, a spiritual haven perched amidst the stunning landscape of West Cork's Beara peninsula. Founded by Peter and Harriet Cornish in 1973, the Centre appointed an internationally renowned Buddhist teacher, Sogyal Rinpoche, as its spiritual director, in 1994. Over 20 years later, the community was rocked by revelations that Rinpoche was a serial sexual predator. With unique access over five years, Maurice O'Brien's film captures the community's efforts to come to terms with this scandal and with the death of Peter Cornish, while constructing Ireland's first Tibetan Buddhist Temple. Produced with funding from Coimisiún na Meán's Sound & Vision Fund and Screen Ireland. Home: The Story of Zak Moradi Home: The Story of Zak Moradi tells the story of Zak, born in a camp in war-torn Iraq on the day the Gulf War began. Zak and his family share their experiences from fleeing their home to building a new life in Ireland, where he finds a community and his passion through the local GAA and playing hurling. 20 years since leaving Iraq, Zak returns to reconnect with his past on an emotional journey, in what is a poignant and inspiring story of resilience and hope, that explores the importance, meaning and feeling of a home. The documentary premiered at last year's Galway Film Fleadh. Mrs Robinson Mrs Robinson tells the story of Mary Robinson - in her own words, for the very first time - illuminating battles for justice and equality over half a century; on the streets, in the courts, at the ballot box, and in backroom corridors of power. A reforming constitutional lawyer and Senator in her early career, Mary Robinson detonated an electoral earthquake by winning the Irish Presidential vote in 1990. Later, as a crusading UN High Commissioner, she built a lasting legacy; fearlessly challenging perpetrators of human rights abuses all over the world. To this day, she exerts leadership as the Chair of The Elders; the independent group of global leaders (founded by Nelson Mandela) who work for peace, justice and human rights. Pray for our Sinners Pray for Our Sinners documents Sinéad O'Shea's return to her hometown, Navan, to explore the impact of the Catholic Church on the community in decades past. Through first hand testimonies, the film reveals the plight of unmarried mothers; the horrors of mother and baby homes and the prevalence of violence against children in Catholic schools. A handful of extraordinary figures chose to resist the pervasive power of the church: a woman who refused to give her baby up for adoption, a 9-year-old boy who dared to speak out against his teachers' physical abuse; and a couple who established a family planning service and campaigned for the abolition of corporal punishment Football Families Football Families is a high-action entertaining three-part series featuring some of Ireland's best young soccer talent as they chase the dream of making it in the dog-eat-dog world of professional football, filmed behind-the-scenes with the rising stars of league of Ireland champions Shelbourne F.C's soccer academy. The series was filmed as the 2024 league reached its climax with Shelbourne being crowned champions under manager Damien Duff. Delving behind the scenes, the series highlights how this sport for the masses is a profession for the few. Hard-working and determined, these teenagers from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities train together and bond as teams who want to win. Their stories reveal the pressure and scrutiny they're under as they cope with the brutal reality of elite level football. North Circular North Circular is a multiple award-winning documentary which travels the length of Dublin's fabled North Circular Road. This is a place where local characters share their powerful and emotive stories, accompanied by traditional ballads and folk music, all adding to the narrative. Conjuring the ghosts of the past, while engaging with the conflicts and celebrations of today, North Circular also features some Dublin humour thrown in. The film includes musical performances from local artists including John Francis Flynn, Séan Ó Túama, Eoghan O'Ceannabháin, Ian Lynch & Gemma Dunleavy. Breaking Out Fergus O'Farrell was the charismatic voice of Interference, one of the most compelling and influential bands to emerge from the Irish music scene in the 1990s, best-known for his timeless song Gold which featured in the soundtrack to Once. Despite being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, through it all, Fergus had to keep singing. His unique talent and love for life inspired a generation of songwriters. Oscar-winner Glen Hansard was one, and in one of the many incredible moments in Breaking Out, he performs the ultimate duet as Fergus' greatest gift was failing. Winner of Best Irish Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh 2019 , this intimate journey into the heart and soul of Fergus O'Farrell was filmed over ten years by director Michael McCormack. Sightless Cinema A year in the life of the Sightless Cinema audio drama network, as they embark on their biggest show to date. The Sightless Cinema network is a group of blind and visually impaired people who create audio dramas for performance in theatres and cinemas. Founded in 2015 by theatre director Ciarán Taylor, and sound artist Rachel Ní Chuinn, Sightless Cinema has grown from a tiny group to a nationwide community. Director Gareth Stack followed Sightless Cinema as they rehearsed and performed their new show across Ireland. Members of the group candidly discuss their sight loss and how their lives have been shaped by blindness. We watch their creative process in action. As Sightless Cinema turn their lived experiences of blindness into compelling audio theatre. The Graceless Age - The Ballad of John Murry Feature documentary on American singer songwriter John Murry who was on the cusp of greatness after the release of his album Graceless Age (2013) when his world fell apart. He found solace in Ireland where he had washed up creatively exhausted and depressed and where, he said, the landscape and the people revived him. This haunting film sees John retrace his steps back to Mississippi to a neglected childhood, explore his family links to the Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner, and ultimately find understanding and redemption through his love for music. Further documentary and scheduling details will be announced in due course. The TX dates for upcoming RTÉ documentaries will be finalised across the summer and will be available on RTÉ Presspack. For Further Information: Jennifer O'Brien, RTÉ Communications
ABC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
David McBride lodges High Court application to challenge conviction
Former military lawyer David McBride has lodged a special leave application in the High Court in a bid to challenge his conviction for sharing classified material with journalists. The ACT Supreme Court jailed McBride for five years and eight months for theft and leaking the material to three journalists. He was to face a jury but pleaded guilty when it became evident the court would not allow his basic defence that it was his duty to share the documents in the public interest. His point was that soldiers in Afghanistan were being "over-investigated" for alleged war crimes and he wanted the public to know. McBride appealed against his sentence and conviction, but that was thrown out earlier this year. His High Court appeal canvasses the same issues, drawing a distinction between disciplinary duties and duties of office, and relying on the Oath of Allegiance to the Sovereign. The oath, which McBride made to Queen Elizabeth II, includes a promise to serve the sovereign according to law, and "… faithfully discharge my duty according to law". The appeal centres on the scope of that duty. His lawyers say in their submissions to the High Court, that the ACT Court of Appeal "… erroneously assumed that a duty of service requires unqualified obedience to orders". The appeal court remarked that if it accepted McBride's argument it would "… also extend to conduct of members in all spheres of a member's military service, including on the battlefield". McBride's lawyers say in their High Court application they are not encouraging general defiance of orders, but rather suggesting it should be recognised "duty cannot be reduced to blind obedience". "… the applicant sought to communicate to the public evidence of serious misconduct at the highest levels of military command." the submissions to the High Court say. "An insistence that duty is wholly defined by orders strips away the necessary safeguard against executive overreach and ignores the principle that duty is judged by law, not merely military command." The application even cites the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal after the Second World War "which recognised following orders is no defence to actions that violate fundamental principles of law, such as crimes against humanity". "There must be circumstances where a soldier can and indeed must, disobey orders — even if those orders are authorised pursuant to military law." Only the ABC used the material David McBride provided, in a series called the Afghan Files, which revealed allegations Australian soldiers were involved in illegal killings in Afghanistan. This was not, of course, what David McBride had hoped to achieve by handing over the documents. He had begun copying the material, printing it and taking it home in 2013. A search showed he had removed 235 documents, 207 of which had a secret classification. McBride knew for a long time he would face charges. During the investigation the ABC was raided by Australian Federal Police looking for evidence in the case. It was not until 2019 that he finally appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court, with even longer to wait for trial, after interruptions from the pandemic. He is now in Canberra's jail. It is not known when the High Court will consider the application.
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Australian whistleblower David McBride loses appeal to reduce sentence
David McBride, a former Australian army officer who leaked classified documents revealing alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, has lost his appeal to reduce his sentence. Three judges of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Court of Appeal on Wednesday unanimously voted to uphold the 61-year-old's jail term of five years and eight months. McBride was sentenced in May 2024 for stealing and distributing classified information on Australian war crimes in Afghanistan to three journalists between 2014 and 2018. The appeal court judges noted in their summary that McBride began taking home copies of hundreds of secret documents after becoming 'dissatisfied with what he perceived to be vexatious over-investigation of alleged war crimes by Australian soldiers'. Against his wishes, the information McBride shared became the premise for a 2017 investigative documentary series, The Afghan Files, by ABC News, which detailed alleged atrocities committed by Australian troops during their deployment in Afghanistan. The justices on Wednesday also rejected McBride's argument that, as a military officer, he had sworn an oath to act in the interests of the public. 'To the contrary, the oath obliged the appellant (McBride) to discharge his duties 'according to the law,'' the judges said in a written summary of their ruling. McBride has consistently argued he acted out of duty to release the information. Through his lawyers, he said he thought Australians would be outraged by the Court of Appeal decision. 'It is my own conscience and the people of Australia that I answer to. I have kept my oath to the Australian people,' McBride said in a statement via his lawyers. His legal team said they would appeal to the country's High Court over the ruling, due to the ramifications of the case for whistleblowers in Australia. "We believe that only the High Court can properly grapple with the immense public interest and constitutional issues at the heart of this case," his lawyers argued in a statement. They also called for the country's Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland, to pardon McBride. Rowland, who was appointed to her role after the Labor Party was re-elected in early May, declined to comment on the case. The government was considering offering additional support for public sector whistleblowers, her office said. The Human Rights Law Centre told ABC News it was surprised the court hadn't reduced the length of McBride's sentence. "I think that only underscores the ongoing travesty that is his prosecution," HRLC Associate Legal Director Kieran Pender said. "David McBride's case and other whistleblower prosecutions in recent years have demonstrated the failure of our laws," he added. McBride can be considered for parole after he has served two years and three months, meaning he must remain behind bars until at least August next year.
