Who was the millionaire who died in a homeless hostel in Galway?

In The News · Oct 12, 2026 · 20m

For years Victor Spaggiari was a familiar sight on the streets of Galway.

A homeless man, he lived in the Cope Hostel and spent his days sitting on a bench in the city. He spoke little, caused no trouble and seemed content. When he died in 2024 aged 65, his funeral was small and he was buried in the city, far from his Italian birthplace.

Then, when his will went to probate it emerged that Victor was a millionaire and he had left his fortune to a cousin in Milan. So who was Victor? How did he come by the money? Why didn’t he spend it? And why did he spend his adult life in Ireland?

Intrigued…