Woman eyes family fortune

A LIMERICK woman thinks she has found a rich American relative.

But he’s dead, and she wants to prove their kinship to stake a claim to the $1.9 million (€1.38m) he left in his will.

The woman, who lives in Moyross, believes her family could be related to the American millionaire who left the money to his unknown Irish relatives.

A law firm in the US is trying to track down relatives of Richard Riordan-Schalk so they can share in his fortune.

Mr Riordan-Schalk, a former chairman of the American Press Council, died three years ago without naming an heir.

He lived in Alexandria, Virginia.

His family forebears have been traced to Freemount in north Cork, with further roots in Co Limerick.

The middle-aged woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, contacted attorney Paul Lanzillota at Manning and Murray law firm in Arlington, Virginia, last Thursday after she saw newspaper ads.

She said: “I am originally from near the Abbeyfeale region, which is where his forefathers came from.”

Anyone who can prove they are related to the dead man’s ancestor, David Riordan, who was born around 1808 and died on January 5, 1865, or his wife, Mary (nee McCarthy), could be in line for a windfall.

She said: “They were onto me about birth certificates, so I will have to look into it. I’ll see what I can do in the near future.”