The Minister of State for rural development, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, has declined to accept a bequest worth up to £500,000 left to him and his family by the late "Queen of Connemara", Bina McLoughlin, who died recently.
Ms McLoughlin (72) left 200 acres of mountain farmland and her home in Leenane to the Minister of State, which has an estimated value of up to £500,000. It is understood Mr O Cuiv has made contact with Ms McLoughlin's relatives as he is refusing the bequest.
Ms McLoughlin is survived by two sisters in England, but had no immediate family of her own. A dramatist and actress, she was dubbed the "Queen of Connemara" and lived on a small farm with a number of cats and dogs. She appeared at the annual Bogman's Ball in Maam Cross, Connemara.
