A joyful family from Co. Cavan made their way to the National Lottery offices in Dublin today to claim a €500,000 EuroMillions Plus prize they won in last Friday’s (19th January) draw.
The lucky group, who wish to keep their win private, purchased their winning Quick Pick ticket at Lees Gala Store in Ballyhaise, Co Cavan which is situated 11kms from the Northern Ireland border.
Speaking in the National Lottery Winners’ Room, the winning dad admitted that he kept his family in the dark about the win until he decided to tell them days after the draw:
He said:“We heard the winning ticket had been sold in the local shop but we had absolutely no idea that it was us. I bought the paper on Saturday afternoon and I nearly fell off my seat as I checked the winning numbers. As excited as I was, I didn’t tell a soul, not even the wife! I wanted to be absolutely certain about the win before I told anybody. My wife has been in a state of shock since I told her on Monday and I don’t think it’ll hit home until she sees the money in the bank."
Despite the massive EuroMillions win, the lucky Cavan clan have vowed to keep their feet firmly on the ground when it comes to their new spending habits:
He said: “This is a great prize. It’s not a life altering sum but the important thing is that it gives us the freedom to live our lives to the full and not have to worry about the money. We’ll meet with our bank manager next week so we’ll definitely be paying off our mortgage and we might treat the kids to a nice holiday in the sun."
Meanwhile, ahead of Friday’s much anticipated €90 million (estimated) draw, National Lottery Chief Executive Dermot Griffin has reminded all players to play early to ensure that they have a chance at winning the massive jackpot.
Mr Griffin said:“The current EuroMillions jackpot is heading for a whopping €90 million euro for Friday night’s draw. Jackpot at these high levels always generate huge excitement among our players and an increase in plays as the jackpot continues to roll. We are expecting a high level of public interest for Friday’s draw so we would advise players to buy their tickets early to avoid queues and to be in with a chance of winning this life-changing prize."
Approximately 30 cent in every €1 spent on National Lottery games go back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts and heritage. In total more than €5 Billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 30 years ago.
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