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Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: Widow branded a 'gold digger' after secretly marrying super rich farmer a DAY before he died is 'broken' by his bitter family's claims
A widow who was all but accused of murdering her wealthy, much older husband to get his hands on his money has been left 'broken' at the portrayal of her as a cold-hearted gold digger. When Lisa Flaherty, a 50-year-old mother-of-three married dying landowner Joseph Grogan, 75, in secret, he was in the final stages of his long fight against blood cancer. Both Ms Flaherty and Mr Grogan, who had no children of his own, knew he didn't have long left to live, and his motivation was to secure the financial future of the woman who had cared for him - and guarantee her right to inherit his €5.5million estate. As it turned out his death came just 24 hours later and his body was embalmed within hours, making it virtually impossible to determine a definite cause of death. Mr Grogan's passing sparked a bitter war of words between Ms Flaherty and his family, who are fighting her for his 230-acre farm in the rural village of Screggan, a sleepy, forgotten backwater in Co Offaly, central Ireland. They paint a picture of Ms Flaherty as a calculating black widow who, sensing an opportunity to get her hands on his estate, moved in with him in January 2023 to become his carer when he was first diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He died three months later on April 15 of that year. But their story is a lot more complicated than that with her friends keen to point out that it goes all the way back to 1991 when Ms Flaherty was 16 and had just finished school and he was a 41-year-old farmer, some 25 years her senior. They were together for some years before they split when Ms Flaherty reached her early 20s. She went on to marry a local man, with whom she had three children; two girls called Danielle and Emma and a son, Darcy. All are now in their mid 20s. But all the while, say friends, Joseph was an ever-present in her life, in the background and the pair remained close. He was seen very much as a father figure to her son and two daughters growing up, they say. It's why those close to Ms Flaherty told MailOnline that she has been left 'broken' at the suggestion that she 'engineered' his death for financial gain. During an inquest into his death last week, she broke down on several occasions and had to leave the court as lawyers for the Grogan family called into question her credibility – and accusing her of leaving him to die at home by not calling in medics or taking him to hospital. Those close to Ms Flaherty say the uncaring portrayal of her couldn't be further from the truth. Those who know the couple in Screggan, which is made up of a shop, a pub, an off licence, a hair salon and around 100 homes, say behind the salacious headlines lies an unorthodox tale of enduring love and commitment between the two. Joe Keys, who was one of Mr Grogan's best friends 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 fumed: 'I've known both all my life and I can promise you, they were very much in love. They were committed to each other, nobody cared for Joe like Lisa did, not even his own family. The two of them were inseparable. 'She's the one who was beside him throughout his life and when he needed her most, as he was dying. She did an amazing job, and it wasn't for financial reasons, Lisa is not that sort of person. She's one of the most loving and kind people you could ever meet.' While giving evidence at the inquest, Ms Flaherty indicated that her relationship with Mr Grogan started when she was a teenager. This led to an angry response from Damien Tansey, barrister for three of his first cousins, who claimed that it had caused anxiety to his family as it 'puts Joseph Grogan into the realm of being a paedophile.' But Ms Flaherty's friend explained: 'It does sound a bit strange, but this is rural Ireland, strange things happen. Lisa was very young when she first met Joe, but it wasn't a big deal, she was above the legal age of consent and there was nothing paedophile about his intentions. It was the start of a loving, caring relationship that continued for many years. 'Although they split up when Lisa was in her 20s, Joe remained a big part of her life. He thought of those kids as his own, had Christmas dinner with them every year and at one point, Darcy was even working for him at a quarry he ran on his farm. 'Even though Lisa and Joe went their separate ways, the bond between them was always there and grew stronger. He would always refer to her as 'My Lisa.' They were together even when they weren't together if you know what I mean.' After splitting from her husband, Ms Flaherty raised her children in a modest three-bedroom terraced home located just a five-minute walk from Mr Grogan's detached bungalow, which lies at the entrance to his sprawling farm. She divided her time between the two properties but as his health deteriorated, she virtually lived with Mr Grogan full time and combined caring for him with her work as a special needs assistant in a local school. Ms Flaherty is also a leading figure in women's Gaelic football and has even worked for the sport's governing body to help develop the sport amongst girls. Thomas, who has lived in Screggan for more than 50 years, said: 'Joe was a very big-hearted man, he'd do anything for anyone. Lisa is really involved in local sports and is a pillar of our community. You won't find anyone around here who has a bad word to say about either of them.' But Mr Grogan's family would beg to differ. They insisted during the inquest that he was a confirmed bachelor and that they were excluded from being involved in his life, especially towards his latter days. They were not informed about his marriage and only discovered he had died after being told by a friend. Mr Grogan was an only child who came from a large extended family and had 39 cousins. He inherited his multi-million farm from his father and also received close to £800,000 in compensation after part of it was compulsorily purchased to build a road. A Grogan family source told MailOnline that a family meeting is to be held over the coming weeks where they will consider what further legal steps they can take. The source said: 'Our position is clear. The marriage is a sham and is not valid and we are considering challenging this in the High Court. We also have concerns about the care Joe received or rather didn't receive and this adds to our argument that the police need to investigate. 'We don't want to say too much about Ms Flaherty and what some of the local community think about her because we know what we think. Our lawyers made this clear during the inquest and nothing has changed.' At the inquest, three of Mr Grogan's cousins, Alo, Margaret and Seán were represented by barrister Damien Tansey. His 90-year-old aunt, Teresa Mooney was represented by solicitor Peter Jones. All challenged the validity of the marriage while calling on the coroner to order a police investigation and return a verdict of unlawful killing. But the coroner delivered a 'narrative verdict' which is an account of the circumstances surrounding a death rather than a direct ruling as to its cause. He said that it was probably due to an infection associated with Mr Grogan's cancer, chemotherapy treatment, damage to the immune system, and significant weight loss. He added that there had been 'valid criticism' of his care in the days leading up to his death, but it had to be borne in mind that Mr Grogan did not want to go to hospital. His friends in Screggan also told MailOnline that he had made it clear to them that he wanted to die at home and was not interested in further medical attention. The coroner also said that he could not make any ruling on the validity of the marriage and that the evidence of Mr Grogan's death did not come 'anywhere near' the threshold required for a finding of unlawful killing. Following the inquest, Ms Flaherty has temporarily left Screggan with friends claiming that she needs time to recuperate and 'mend.' But since Mr Grogan's death she has already taken over the management of his farm, which is well known for staging Ireland's National Ploughing Championships. She recently appeared with her three children at a media event to announce this year's competition which will be staged from September 16-18 where she was named as 'Lisa Flaherty Grogan.' As her close friend Margaret maintained: 'She has every right to take Joe's name and his farm. She's the one who did all the hard work and he wanted to make sure she was financially cared for after he died. There's nothing more to this case than that.'
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Irish Times
Tullamore inquest hears part-time undertaker suggested farmer's body be embalmed
The body of a deceased farmer in Co Offaly was repossessed by the local coroner after he learned it had been released to an undertaker and embalmed, an ongoing inquest in Tullamore has heard. The inquest is examining the death of Joseph (Joe) Grogan (75), of Screggan, outside Tullamore, Co Offaly , who died at home on April 15th, 2023. Mr Grogan's body was embalmed later that day in Longford and then returned to his home outside Tullamore. Mr Grogan, who was suffering from cancer, was receiving treatment, and had been losing significant amounts of weight. He married Lisa Flaherty Grogan the day before he died. READ MORE Pathologist Dr Charles d'Adhemar has told the inquest he could identify no clear cause of death and that the post-mortem had limited the scope of his examination. On Tuesday, Martin Keyes, a truck driver and part-time undertaker, said he had suggested to Mr Grogan's wife, Ms Flaherty Grogan, that Mr Grogan's body be embalmed and she agreed. The body was 'black and blue', he said. 'Ninety per cent of the people I would do would get embalmed,' he said. Asked by barrister Stephen Byrne, for Ms Flaherty Grogan, if there was anything more 'sinister' about the decision to have the body embalmed that the coroner should know about, Mr Keyes said there was not. Mr Keyes was asked about the decision to embalm the body and the fact a Midoc doctor who went to Mr Grogan's house earlier that day, had not officially released the body. Damien Tansey, senior counsel for members of Mr Grogan's family, said the coroner had concerns about what had happened with Mr Grogan's body and instructed Gardaí to repossess it. When he asked Mr Keyes if he was happy with what he did on the day, Mr Keyes responded: 'It was normal, standard practice, what I did.' Mr Keyes said he was a truck driver who worked as a part-time undertaker for about 15 years and had organised about 100 funerals. He was not a registered undertaker or a member of the sector's representative body. He said he was told by Ms Flaherty Grogan that a Midoc doctor had been at the house earlier on the day Mr Grogan died, confirmed the death, and released the body so Ms Flaherty Grogan could arrange the funeral. The doctor, Dr Ben Kato, has given earlier evidence that he did not officially release the body and could not have done so as he had not attended on Mr Grogan before his death. Lisa Flaherty Grogan pictured on Tuesday at Tullamore Coroner's Court. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/ The Irish Times Ms Flaherty Grogan's sister, Niamh Higgins, a psychiatric nurse, said she called to the house on April 15th and formed the view that Mr Grogan was comfortable but 'actively dying'. She said she called the Midoc service but Mr Grogan was showing no signs of life by the time the doctor arrived. She made notes, as was her practice as a nurse, and recorded the time of death. She had the notes with her in the witness box. Responding to Mr Tansey, she said it was the day of Mr Grogan's death that she learned her sister had married him the previous day. A lifelong friend of Ms Flaherty Grogan's, Mary Coyne, who is a healthcare worker with the oncology department in Tullamore Hospital, said she visited Mr Grogan regularly in the period up to his death and was friendly with him. When she saw him April 15th she said to him in a quiet voice: 'We have news. We got married.' She told Mr Tansey she did not consider it unusual that a man would get married a day before he died. In her work in the oncology department, she said, she had seen that happen before, adding: 'I've seen people marry on the wards.' Solicitor Damien Tansey (pink tie) emerges from Tullamore Coroner's Court on Tuesday with Sean Grogan (cousin of deceased). Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/ The Irish Times During the morning court sitting there was a number of objections, from other legal representatives and the coroner, to questions asked by Mr Tansey. At one stage, when Mr Tansey used a particular phrase in relation to Ms Flaherty Grogan's relationship with Mr Grogan - she was born in 1976 and has told the inquest they had been together for more than 16 years, having known each other since she was a teenager - Ms Flaherty Grogan left the courtoom obviously upset, and was still crying upon her return. The inquest is expected to conclude today.
Belfast Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Shane Lowry reveals what happened on his first visit back to Royal Portrush after 2019 Open triumph
He landed the Claret Jug trophy after a blistering performance which included shooting a new course record of 63 in the process, but admitted he needed to revisit the scene of his glory before teeing off at this year's championship. The Co Offaly golfer confessed that he didn't want his first time playing the course again to be the high stakes setting of The 153rd Open so he returned to relive his famous victory last September two days before competing in the Irish Open at Royal County Down. Lowry (38) said: 'I always wanted to go back and get some of the sentimental stuff sorted out, although if it had been left to me it would probably have been some time this year, maybe a month or two before The Open Championship. 'But then one of my sponsors said we need to do this in the week of the Irish Open and me and the three guys I played with had a fantastic time of it. 'It was pretty cool to relive those memories and to share them on a course that will naturally always have a very special place in my heart. 'The moment we walked onto the first tee, it all came pouring out of me. I couldn't shut up talking about all four rounds I played that week. 'It was a case of, 'This is where my first tee shot finished up; this is where I holed the putt for my first birdie, this is where I made the first birdie on my way to shooting 63 on the Saturday; this is where I hit it to make birdie at Calamity, the treacherous par-3 16th'. 'Honestly, I talked them through practically every shot. And as we walked down 18, I finished up by saying 'this is where I caught sight of my family and friends waiting for me on 18 on the Sunday'. 'I almost burst into tears back then, and I welled up again just thinking back to that moment. 'There were so many great memories and I was so glad I went back then, almost a year before The Open at Portrush, rather than wait until nearer the time. It could have been very draining emotionally to have left it any later.' Lowry told Gold Monthly magazine how the atmosphere at Royal Portrush spurred him on to win last time, but that he thinks there will be more pressure on home favourite Rory McIlroy after his grand slam win at The Masters earlier this year. He said: 'I was told that over a million people applied for tickets, and that the overall crowd will be roughly 40,000 more than it was in 2019. So about an extra 10,000 a day. I don't know where they're going to put them. 'But it can only make the atmosphere even more passionate, and it was already off the scale last time. The galleries were massive in 2019, and they were so wrapped up in it all. 'I'll never forget the experience of people cheering and shouting my name on every tee, yelling encouragement in my face as I walked off each green to the next tee, and the crowds chanting and singing 'Fields of Athenry' as we played the final couple of holes on Saturday and Sunday. 'Oh my God, that was amazing. It was just so inspiring, and I kept spotting people in the crowd who I had no idea were going to be there. You can't buy an experience like that. It was like being at a home Ryder Cup — although I didn't know that then, of course, because I hadn't played in one. But Rome two years ago reminded me a lot of Portrush. 'I've got no doubt it will be the same again this year, for me or any of the Irish players who do well. Yeah, it brings extra pressure, but it's definitely worth it. It's going to be an incredible event, and I'm just going to be happy to be a part of it. 'And after what Rory's done already this year, it will take some of the heat off me. He's obviously got unfinished business at Portrush after what happened last time, and whatever pressure he is under won't compare to what he was experiencing every year at Augusta. And he's proved he was more than equal to that. 'Look, whatever happens, it's going to be a fantastic occasion. You just knew after 2019 that The Open would have to come back to Portrush on a regular basis, because I wasn't the only one who had a blast. 'All the players were raving about the course, the welcome and the atmosphere. We Irish love a party, and there was definitely a mood of celebration sweeping the whole country that week. I'm glad I was able to play my part in that.'
BreakingNews.ie
07-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Jozef Puska's relatives accept verdict and will not appeal conviction, court hears
Jozef Puska's two brothers, who were last month convicted of withholding crucial information about the murder of school teacher Ashling Murphy, and their wives – who burned the killer's bloodstained clothes – now accept the jury's verdict and will not appeal their convictions, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Lubomir Puska Jnr (38) and Marek Puska (36), along with their wives Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32) appeared before the court on Monday, where Ms Justice Caroline Biggs fixed a date of October 7th for sentencing in the case. Advertisement Jozef Puska (35) murdered Ms Murphy (23) on January 12th, 2022, by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. He was later convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. The four family members were found guilty on June 17th this year, after a jury accepted the prosecution's case that Lubomir Jnr and Marek misled gardaí by failing to disclose crucial and vital information when they gave witness statements, while their wives - Gaziova and Grundzova - burned Jozef's clothes to impede his arrest or prosecution. All the defendants had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges during the four-week trial. Lubomir Jnr however, had admitted to gardaí that he lied in his initial statement, while his wife Viera and sister-in-law Jozefina told gardaí that they had burned clothes. At the Central Criminal Court today, Karl Finnegan SC, representing Marek Puska, said his client now accepts the verdict of the jury and will not be appealing the decision. He said Marek has engaged with the Probation Services and has further meetings scheduled in the coming month. Advertisement A barrister representing Lubomir Jnr said her client also accepts the verdict of the jury and is due to meet with the Probation Services on July 9th. Damien Colgan SC, for Gaziova, said it is his understanding that in his client's case, the verdict is also accepted. He said a social worker is now involved under the auspices of another agency. He said this was going to take some time and asked for a sentence date in October. Paul Murray SC, for Grundzova, confirmed his client has met with the Probation Services. He said she also accepts the verdict. A barrister representing Lucia Istokova, Jozef Puska's wife, said her client had pleaded guilty before the commencement of the trial. Advertisement Istokova (36) had admitted to withholding information from gardaí investigating the murder after a pre-trial hearing. Ms Justice Biggs said she would extend legal aid for the purpose of preparing psychological reports for any of the defendants, if this was deemed appropriate by counsel. She said in circumstances where reports were awaited, she could either deal with matters 'in one fell swoop' or in two stages. Mr Murray told the court he thought it would be more expedient to have the matter dealt with in one day. Advertisement Ms Justice Biggs adjourned the matter to October 7th for sentence. She said at that point, she hoped to have probation reports, any potential psychological reports and any other reports that are available. It was the State's case that the two brothers misled gardaí and withheld 'crucial, relevant and significant' information when they gave voluntary interviews in Tullamore two days after Ms Murphy's death. This included information that Jozef Puska returned home on the night of the murder with visible injuries, admitted to killing or seriously injuring a woman with a knife and subsequently travelled to Dublin. All four family members were living with Jozef Puska, his wife Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly, when the offences occurred in January 2022.
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Irish Times
Jozef Puska's relatives now accept jury verdict and will not appeal conviction, court hears
Jozef Puska 's two brothers, who were last month convicted of withholding crucial information about the murder of Ashling Murphy , and their wives – who burned the killer's bloodstained clothes – will not appeal their convictions, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Lubomir Puska jnr (38) and Marek Puska (36), along with their wives Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32) appeared before the court on Monday, where Ms Justice Caroline Biggs fixed a date of October 7th for sentencing in the case. Jozef Puska (35) murdered the 23-year-old school teacher on January 12th, 2022, by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. He was later convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. READ MORE The four family members were found guilty on June 17th this year, after a jury accepted the prosecution's case that Lubomir jnr and Marek misled gardaí by failing to disclose crucial and vital information when they gave witness statements, while Gaziova and Grundzova burned Jozef's clothes to impede his arrest or prosecution. All the defendants had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges during the four-week trial. However, Lubomir jnr had admitted to gardaí that he lied in his initial statement, while his wife Viera and sister-in-law Jozefina told investigators that they had burned clothes. At the Central Criminal Court on Monday, Karl Finnegan SC, representing Marek Puska, said his client now accepts the verdict of the jury and will not be appealing the decision. He said Marek has engaged with the Probation Services and has further meetings scheduled in the coming month. Lubomir Puska jnr (35 ) and Viera Gaziona (38) arriving at Central Criminal Court last month. Photograph: Collins Courts A barrister representing Lubomir jnr said her client also accepts the verdict of the jury and is due to meet with the Probation Services on July 9th. Damien Colgan SC, for Gaziova, said it is his understanding that in his client's case, the verdict is also accepted. He said a social worker is now involved under the auspices of another agency. He said this was going to take some time and asked for a sentence date in October. Paul Murray SC, for Grundzova, confirmed his client has met the Probation Services. He said she also accepts the verdict. A barrister representing Lucia Istokova, Jozef Puska's wife, said her client had pleaded guilty before the commencement of the trial. Istokova (36) had admitted to withholding information from gardaí investigating the murder after a pre-trial hearing. Ms Justice Biggs said she would extend legal aid for the purpose of preparing psychological reports for any of the defendants, if this was deemed appropriate by counsel. She said in circumstances where reports were awaited, she could either deal with matters 'in one fell swoop' or in two stages. Mr Murray told the court he thought it would be more expedient to have the matter dealt with in one day. Ms Justice Biggs adjourned the matter to October 7th for sentence. She said at that point, she hoped to have probation reports, any potential psychological reports and any other reports that are available. It was the State's case that the two brothers misled gardaí and withheld 'crucial, relevant and significant' information when they gave voluntary interviews in Tullamore two days after Ms Murphy's death. This included information that Jozef Puska returned home on the night of the murder with visible injuries, admitted to killing or seriously injuring a woman with a knife and subsequently travelled to Dublin. All four family members were living with Jozef Puska, his wife Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly when the offences occurred in January 2022.
