A straight man who married his carer and close pal, 25 years his junior, to evade a €50,000 inheritance tax said it’s the “best thing that’s ever happened to him."

Matt Murphy (83) wed his friend Michael O’Sullivan (58) in December.

Murphy, who is almost blind and suffers from arthritis, made the decision to marry O’Sullivan so that his pal could eventually inherit his home without the 33% inheritance tax.

Read More: Elderly straight Irishmen to marry for tax reasons 

As it turns out, it’s the best thing he ever did.

“And if he wasn’t here now, the mood I’m in, I’m almost blind I would just end it all,” Murphy told the Irish Mirror. “And I’m going to tell the doctors I’ve had seven different examinations mentally from doctors and not once physically have they helped me.”

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me in my life,” the 83-year-old said.

“I’m having a very angry day today. [A friend] was here and he’s my age and I was just saying if [Michael] wasn’t here I would end it all.”

The story of Murphy and O’Sullivan’s nuptials made headlines all over the world. The pair, who are both heterosexual, married to avoid O’Sullivan eventually paying €50,000 inheritance tax on Murphy’s Stoneybatter, Dublin house.

The duo have been friends for almost 30 years.

“I wouldn’t go into a nursing home so he is putting up with my nonsense,” Murphy said.

Murphy told the outlet that dad-of-three O’Sullivan has been his close confidant and pal for many years.

After O’Sullivan’s own relationship ended, he went to stay with other friends before confiding in Murphy, whose eyesight was rapidly deteriorating.

“I stayed over with him for a while and eventually Matt said, ‘Why don’t you come and stay here,” Murphy told the publication.

“He said that he couldn’t pay me as a carer. Eventually Matt said the only way he could pay me was to leave me the house.”

However, they realized that O’Sullivan would then face a major tax bill - but 83-year-old Murphy happily came up with the idea to get married.

The duo said both their relatives are now like “one big family”.