The son of a priest has contacted senior gardaí over claims his late father’s fortune was stolen, Extra.ie can reveal.
Aidan Wilson discovered in 2022 that Fr Paddy Crowe was his biological father. Fr Crowe, who was from Tuam, Co Galway, was a curate in Norwich, England, in the 1960s and eventually became the parish priest in the city before his death in 2000.
Mr. Wilson, who is from Norwich, has now contacted gardaí in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, and urged them to launch a criminal investigation into the alleged disappearance of Fr Crowe’s substantial fortune.
In correspondence seen Extra.ie, Mr. Wilson said he believes something "very underhand" happened and wants to get answers.
He said: "My father died unexpectedly on the operating table during a relatively routine operation in Harefield Hospital, England, on August 30, 2000. Apparently, there was no will. He died intestate. He was extremely wealthy, but there is no record of where all his money went.
"I met with his still-living 90-year-old brother two years ago, and he told me he got Paddy’s car but has no idea where his million pounds went. I’ve searched records on the UK government website, and there’s nothing.
"I was told by his family in Ireland that, after his operation, he was going to retire and settle back in Galway after working 35 years in England, the last 20 years in Luton. I’d appreciate any help to get me the answers I need. It seems pretty clear to me that something very underhanded has happened."
There is no suggestion by Extra.ie of wrongdoing on the part of any of the late Fr Crowe’s relatives.
Through DNA websites such as My Heritage as well as Ancestry.com, Mr. Wilson was able to determine that his first cousins were the children of Fr Crowe’s siblings. He now wants Fr Crowe’s body to be exhumed to finally clear up any doubts about his parentage.
Mr. Wilson is also demanding that a "proper investigation" be carried out into the missing fortune. And he said that for him it is not about any money, it’s about finding out the truth.
He added: "I don’t want people to read this and think 'oh, yeah, here we go. He’s only after his money.'"
When Mr. Wilson found out who his father really was, he began to hear of the fortune he had amassed through business dealings and fastidious saving.
He explained: "When Paddy would head back to Ireland, he’d be there with wedges of 50 pound notes. He wasn’t being flash. He was a man who had a lot of money and that’s what all my new cousins were telling me.
"Some would say he had a million quid, – others would say a little less, some would say more – but it was a lot of money. There were times where I’d wonder where the money would come from.
"We’d go to this place when I was a kid, the Little Nuns of the Assumption," Mr. Wilson said. "The thinking is that they were giving mum a few pounds to look after me because Paddy was my father," he said.
Mr. Wilson has written to senior gardaí in Co. Galway and says he has been assured that his case will be looked into.
He added: "We want to get to the bottom of this and I can tell you something for nothing right now: I’m not going to stop until I find out what happened to my dad’s money."
*This aritcle was originally published on Extra.ie.
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