Three sons whose American father put their names on a prize-winning 1960 Irish Sweepstake counterfoil were yesterday given High Court permission to collect their winnings of more than £1,000 each. The Wigley brothers, Douglas of Ormond Beach, Florida; Craig of Wilmington, North Carolina; and Bruce, of St James, New York, each told the court that they had received correspondence from the Irish High Court accountant's office setting out procedures to get paid.
All three in affidavits told Mr Justice McCracken that their father, Frank B Wigley, was successful in winning a portion of the Grand National race prize in 1960. All were named as the prizewinners in the counterfoil drawn in the Irish Sweepstake.
The brothers said that a sum £214.15.10p was lodged in court as they were all minors at the time. The £214.15s.10p with accumulated interest over the past 39 years is now worth £1,070.20.