If you have one of 300 last names you could be the heir to an enormous unclaimed fortune

A database of unclaimed estates is keeping tabs on Irish individuals who have passed away without leaving a will , with over 300 names listed.

Unclaimedestates.ie could potentially hold the name of a deceased relative whose wealth was never claimed , for many people.

The deceased individuals listed here are Irish-born men and women who have passed away in England and Wales since 1997. For various reasons, the authorities were unable to identify the next of kin.

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Consequently, the estate (money and property) left behind cannot be distributed.

If an individual passes away without leaving a valid or effective will, their estate will be distributed to the following in the order shown below:

• spouse or civil partner
• children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so forth
• mother or father
• siblings who share both the same mother and father, or their children (nieces and nephews)
• half siblings or their children (nieces and nephews of the half blood or their children). 'Half ' means they share only one parent with the deceased
• grandparents
• uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins or their descendants)
• half uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins of the half blood or their children)

The many names listed on the site include, but are not limited to:

• Ahern
• Anderson
• Bell
• Brennan
• Burke
• Butler
• Callaghan
• Cassidy
• Collins
• Doyle
• Egan
• Fitzgerald
• Flynn
• Gallagher
• Hynes
• Jordan
• Kavanagh
• Keane
• King
• Lynch
• McCarthy
• McDonnell
• McGowan
• McGrath
• McGuinness
• Nolan
• O'Brien
• O'Donnell
• O'Gorman
• O'Reilly
• O'Sullivan
• Price
• Quinn
• Regan
• Ryan
• Smith
• Sullivan
• Walsh
• Whelan

The Bona Vacantia Division is responsible for managing unclaimed estates in England and Wales. If you believe you're related to someone on their list, you can submit a claim.

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However, there are time restrictions. Claims are accepted within 12 years of the estate's administration completion, but won't be considered if more than 30 years have passed since the person's death.

Payouts can be made on claims up to 30 years after death, but no interest is paid. Each estate managed by the Bona Vacantia Division is worth over £500.

If you think you might be entitled to one of these unclaimed estates, you can make a claim through their website.

For more information or to see the full list, visit unclaimedestates. ie.