Casino
Scratchcards
PlayIt was in the draw on 17th June that the family’s lucky ticket - bought at Clifford’s Centra on Shandon Street in Cork – matched all the numbers to net them an astonishing €250 million.
The Irish Lottery revealed a couple of days later that they had been contacted by the winner, but said the ticket holder would be given ‘time and space’ to make arrangements. One big decision was whether to stay private or go public, and anonymity was the final call. However, the winners have been happy to share some details of their story.
‘Couldn’t Believe My Eyes’
Recalling the initial purchase of the ticket, one family member said: “I saw the sign at the till that the EuroMillions jackpot was €250 million. Although I’m a regular player, I hadn’t bought a ticket for the last two draws. I picked one up and honestly, didn’t think much of it.”
Then came the moment when they realised that they had beaten extraordinary odds to land the jackpot. “I was watching the Nine O’Clock News and saw that someone in Ireland had the winning EuroMillions ticket. So naturally, I got my ticket and scanned it on the National Lottery app, and a message popped up, ‘You’ve won big, contact the National Lottery.’ Obviously, this wasn’t a message that I was used to seeing, so I must have checked it four more times, I just couldn't believe my eyes!
“I ran upstairs to my wife who had just gone to bed and woke her up. We both checked the numbers multiple times on the website. We sat at the edge of the bed, saying ‘Oh my god’ over and over – I reckon we said it about 50 times. We were in total shock, complete disbelief. As you can imagine, sleep was out of the question that night.”
The next morning, the winner called the Irish Lottery and spoke to the Claims Team. After ‘the longest few minutes of my life’, confirmation came through that it was the golden ticket. Until it could be handed over, they kept it carefully hidden inside an A4 sheet beneath a pile of folded laundry in the bedroom.
Plans For The Future
They have spent the past few weeks getting independent legal and financial guidance, and they can now look forward to a bright future with almost limitless financial freedom. Top of the agenda is a family holiday, while one member of the syndicate is also eyeing up a Rolex watch, but otherwise they are determined not to get carried away.
They want to buy homes for their children, support their wider family and close friends, and donate money to charities close to their heart.
One winner said: “I don’t think the news has really sunk in yet. We’re planning to remain in Ireland, and we promised ourselves that we won’t let this win change us.” Another added with a laugh: “I'll still be having my favourite ham and cheese sambo for lunch every day!”
The Irish family’s payout put them level with an anonymous Austrian player at the top of the list of biggest EuroMillions wins. The jackpot cannot go any higher than the €250 million they claimed, but it is always worth at least €17 million and every draw provides the chance to win a life-changing sum. Make sure you don’t miss out on the next opportunity – pick up a ticket from an authorised retailer or choose your numbers online.
