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| L-R: Steven and Kit Smyrl |
The show follows the brothers as they search for next-of-kin to unclaimed estates. Although their firm, Massey and King, is based in Dublin, they have a network of researchers and agents across the globe, so they can trace beneficiaries no matter where they now reside, and the six episodes of Dead Money take them to England, the USA, France, Scotland, as well as Ireland.
While it is dogged genealogical research that moves each story along at a pace, each family's case is set in its historical context, right up to the often emotional reveal when the located relatives discover their entitlement to a sum of money – sometimes a small fortune.
Produced by ProMedia, Dead Money was first screened in 2012 when it was watched by some 29% of the total viewing public. The series has been repeated twice since then, and received a 2013 Irish Film & Television Award nomination.
The series will be screened over the next six Fridays on RTE1. In this Friday's episode, Steven and Kit Smyrl visit America as they search for the heirs to a Galway estate worth €500,000, and discover how a family overcame poverty to build a new life after emigrating from Ireland. The Smyrls' quest also sees them reuniting Irish and American cousins in Boston.