An 82-year-old widow left court yesterday with a £250,000 Christmas box - a 17th-century home at North King Street, Dublin.
Two months ago Judge Joseph Matthews in the Circuit Civil Court granted Mrs Mary Connell and her son, Tom (55), a declaration that they were the legal owners of the house.
But property developer Padraic Muldowney, who stood to lose his investment ownership of the house Mrs Connell lived in, appealed the decision to the High Court.
Yesterday in the High Court Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen said the evidence in her favour was clear.
She and her son had lived in the house for 30 years without having paid rent or having acknowledged any claimed title. Mr Muldowney had bought the property with two adjoining houses knowing the Connells had been in possession for more than 30 years.
Mrs Connell had said her late husband had leased the property in 1953 at £2 a week. She said the lease had run out in 1970 and since 1979 no rent had been demanded or paid although she had offered it to the former landlord.
Mr Justice Kinlen awarded legal costs in both courts, estimated to be almost £50,000, against Mr Muldowney.