The EuroMillions numbers for 11th February were 24, 26, 32, 43 and 46, plus Lucky Stars 6 and 10. The winning family syndicate, from County Mayo, had purchased their Quick Pick ticket from Mulroy’s Londis and initially had no idea about just how much they had won.
They had been hopeful of winning €500,000 after hearing that a winning EuroMillions Plus ticket had been won in the town on the same night, and described it as ‘unbelievable’ when they found out they had actually landed the main jackpot.
However, the husband and wife, who have decided to remain anonymous, still managed to stay ‘incredibly calm’. She recalled: "We sat down quietly and we started calling all of the family to come home urgently, hinting that we’d won some money on the EuroMillions without actually telling them how much. Each and every one of them thought we’d won the €500,000 prize.
“When they finally burst through the door, one of them said, ‘Have we won the half million?’ – and my husband replied, ‘add on another 16 and a half million to that!’ It was a lovely moment for us all to share and it’s something we’ll remember forever.”
They admitted that the hardest part was waiting two weeks to pick up their cheque, just in case the winning ticket went missing. The mother of the group added: “My husband came up with the great idea to hide the ticket on the very first page of the bible so if our house was burgled, he reckons that it’s the last place an intruder would look.”
Third Jackpot Win for Castlebar
The family are determined to make the most of the money so that everyone can feel the benefit for as long as possible, and will mostly carry on as normal.
“We’ve taken some time out to consider our plans for the money and I can assure you that we will be very sensible in our approach to spending,” said the mother. “The jackpot has been split amongst the large family.
“Mortgages will be paid and some debts will be cleared and after that, it’s up to each family member to decide on what to do with their winnings. The best part of this win is that we are sharing in the experience together as a family.”
The town of Castlebar has now sold three jackpot-winning tickets since EuroMillions launched in 2004, while Ireland has had 17 jackpot wins in total.
The top prize has rolled over four times since the lucky family syndicate’s success, propelling it up to £55 million (€66 million) ahead of Friday night’s draw. Take part online or visit an authorised retailer in one of the nine participating countries.