A widow, who claimed she had to pay £400 to her future mother-in-law 36 years ago before she could marry, has settled her High Court challenge to her late husband's will.
Ms Marie Harnett (63), Inch, Dromtrasna, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, was 29 when she married her 41-year-old husband and said she was shocked that her lifelong investment in the family farm had not been recognised by her late husband who, in his will, left half of his estate to her and the other half to his brother's three children.
The action was settled while at hearing before Mr Justice Kelly.
Mr James O'Reilly SC, for Ms Harnett, said his client was the eldest of 10 children.
She married John Harnett in November 1967. They had no children. The late Mr Harnett's estate consisted of Post Office savings, stock and shares with an estimated value of €340,000 and a 49-acre farm and house estimated to be worth between €225,000 and €250,000.
Mr Harnett's will had shocked his widow, Mr O'Reilly said. Having lived and worked with her husband all her life, to be dealt with in that way was a grave upset to her.
To marry "in those days", a person had to bring money into the farm, counsel said. While there had been a courtship, before the marriage took place money had to be given and £400 (€40,000 to €50,000 would be today's equivalent) was the price paid by his client.
Her late husband's mother had required a sum of £600. Her father gave £400 and her late husband gave his mother the additional £200.
Mr O'Reilly said his client had worked all her life in the farm and had looked after her late husband's mother without remuneration or ever having taken a holiday.
Ms Harnett, in her statement of claim, said she met her late husband at a dance in Listowel. He was 41 and "still lived with his mother".
Her statement continued: "Nevertheless, despite these drawbacks the plaintiff saw in the testator [her late husband] the possibility of a way out of the pathos of her current situation."
The statement said that her late husband's family "evinced reservations about the match. Given the age difference between the would-be couple it was to be expected that the testator would predecease the plaintiff. At the time the testator stood to inherit the family farm and the family was not enamoured with the idea that the plaintiff would in turn inherit the said farm."
Under a consent document which was received Mr Justice Kelly, the executors of the will are to pay Ms Harnett €36,000 over and above her legal right in her husband's estate.