A millionaire farmer passed away just one day after secretly marrying his part-time carer, leaving his fortune to his new wife. Joe Grogan, 75, tied the knot with Lisa Flaherty, 50, in a registry office wedding on April 14, 2023, without any relatives present. He died the following day at his home in Tullamore, Ireland.
Ms Flaherty, a special needs assistant and mother of three, now stands to inherit Mr Grogan's 220-acre farm valued at €5.5 million (£4.7 million) as his widow. The wedding was kept secret from the farmer's relatives, who were unaware the couple were in a relationship.
An inquest at Offaly Coroner's Court heard that the cause of death could not be determined because the body was embalmed before a postmortem could be carried out. Mr Grogan had been diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January 2023 and had responded well to treatment, but Ms Flaherty testified that he believed he was dying of cancer.
Barristers representing the Grogan family argued there were 'unanswered questions' surrounding the death and called for a detailed forensic investigation, but the coroner, Raymond Mahon, rejected the request. He returned a narrative verdict, finding that the death was probably due to an infection on the balance of probabilities.
Lawyers for Ms Flaherty said she had been 'hauled over the coals' during the three-day inquest and claimed she had 'stepped up to the plate' when the family did not. The coroner offered commiserations to all parties, describing it as 'a very difficult case for everyone'.
