The Wake - episode 23

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“I heard of this case down in Galway,” said Jim, “where some farmer left everything to the Mormons and the son tried to change the will. He got himself into trouble so he did and ended up not getting a penny.”

“Naw,” corrected Margie, “it was Roscommon that happened and it was some other crowd. Scientific Church. Or Church of Scientology is it? Naw, not them either.” She frowned, put the glass to her head and kept it there for about ten seconds as if she was doing a trick with it on her nose. Then she lowered it and asked: “What is it you call it when somebody changes their will? It was on the TV the other night. Did any of yous see it? Robin Day was interviewing this lawyer about it.”

“I saw it,” said Seamus. “It’s some word like a painkiller or something.”

Codicil. When you amend your will. I remember reading about it one time. Rich farmer in Roscommon died leaving every penny plus about a hundred and twenty acres to the Catholic church and the son was fit to be tied. Other farmer down the road Paddy O’Hare or some name like that was the dead spit of the da so the son went to see him the minute the da died and asked him to let on to be the da and make a new will leaving everything to the son himself and O’Hare was to get a quarter of the proceeds. He agreed anyway and they got this solicitor and some witness to come in and they hid the body in the back bedroom so the son could announce the death later on that day. O’Hare’s in the bed and the blanket up to his nose and tells the solicitor he’s amending his previous will and now wants to leave everything to “my good friend and neighbour Paddy O’Hare.” Some scam. 

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