A millionaire's widow has been left 'broken' after people accused her of being a 'golddigger' following her husband's death just one day after their marriage.
Lisa Flaherty, 50, married dying landowner Joseph Grogan, who was 75, in secret in 2023, only for him to pass away the next day following a battle with blood cancer.
Mr Grogan reportedly knew he didn't have long to live and was also childless, so instead married mum-of-three Lisa and gave her the right to inherit his impressive estate in Screggan, Tullamore, which is valued at close to £5 million.
The unfortunate timing of him passing away less than 24 hours after they said their 'I Dos' immediately prompted claims that Ms Flaherty was a 'golddigger', but she was said to be 'broken' when lawyers from Mr Grogan's family questioned her motives.
Advert
Lisa and Joseph had been living together in Ireland since 2023, with the 50-year-old becoming his carer after he was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma, something she claimed was 'incurable'.
The two had known each other for over 30 years, with the pair reportedly first dating when Lisa was 16 and Joseph was 41.
Mr Grogan died just three months later, and now an inquest into his death has thrown light back onto the situation, especially after a pathologist ruled that the 75-year-old's 'sudden and unexpected death' was not down to his cancer or any organ failure.
Advert
A speedy embalming process, which occurred within a few hours of his death, also meant that the pathologist could not test for drugs in his system, according to barrister Damien Tansey, who was representing Mr Grogan's cousins.
Joe Keys, a friend of Mr Grogan, said: "The world can think what it wants but how Lisa has been portrayed is not right.
"They were both wonderful people who were very well respected in this community. Lisa didn’t care for Joe because she wanted his money, that’s total rubbish."
A close friend of Ms Flaherty said: "It does sound a bit strange, but this is rural Ireland, strange things happen."
Advert
Mr Tansey also claimed that the secrecy surrounding the marriage was concerning, but the pathologist Charles d'Adhemar refused to comment on the validity of the nuptials.
Mr d’Adhemar also warned that if the three medications Mr Grogan had been prescribed were not administered correctly, it could depress his respiratory and nervous systems.
Stephen Byrne, representing Lisa, said that Mr Tansey had all but accused her of causing Mr Grogan's death and that his client's good name had been 'dragged over the coals.'
The inquest ultimately ruled that Mr Grogan died of natural causes linked to cancer and his treatment.
Topics: Ireland
James Moorhouse