Money

Agree. Sean didn't care about the money because he had plenty of his own and maybe saw accepting the money as a bribe to take Mary Kate off her brother's hands, at least that's how I see it.

Further, Mary Kate opened the door to the tractor's firebox for Sean to throw the money into, showing that the money itself wasn't that important, but she just wanted the money was hers (not her brother's) to do with what she wanted - even if it was just throwing it away. She also knew that Sean was finally willing to fight for her so the money no longer mattered. Finally, her brother not giving her her dowry was him still exerting control over her.

As an aside, that €350 would have done a lot for the poor or orphans..

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I never did understand why they burned the money.

We already knew that Sean didn't want the money - to him it was like being paid to take Mary Kate off her brother's hands. As an American, he saw this tradition as archaic. But for Mary Kate, burning the money she demanded for the whole film shows she didn't want the money as much as she wanted the respect of her brother and for her brother to accept Sean as her as her husband, but she also doubted Sean's character as a man not willing to fight for her dowry. Sean didn't see the money as worth fighting for, but Mary Kate did as a matter of honor. Culture clash I guess.

Once Will paid Sean, she won the battle with her brother and then realized that Sean was willing to fight for her honor. Burning the money after her victory showed everyone including her brother her fight was for respect, not money.

Also her dowry was in gold, and he paid it with paper.

Sean demanded immediate payment or he was returning Mary Kate to Danaher for an uncompleted dowry transaction. All Will Danaher had on his person was paper money. No idea what Sean would have done if Will left his wallet at home..

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