‘I wish the winner the best of luck’ – €30.9m ticket vendor

Dan Danaher spoke with the couple who sold the winning €30.9m EuroMillions ticket in Ballina

NATIONAL Lottery chiefs are remaining tight-lipped on the identity of the €30,928,078 EuroMillions jackpot winner who has redeemed the lucky Quick Pick that was bought in Ballina.

Michael and Siobhán Larkin are still celebrating after it was announced that their store, Larkin’s Gala Service Station in Ballina sold the winning ticket from the draw on Friday night.

They have scooped €25,000 from selling the winning ticket as well as much local and national media attention.

Arrangements are now being made for the 17th EuroMillions jackpot winner, since the game was launched in 2004, to claim their truly life-changing prize following contact with the National Lottery.

In July 2005, Dolores McNamara from Limerick, was Ireland’s first and biggest EuroMillions winner scooping over €115 million. Ms McNamara now lives near Ogonnelloe.

Siobhán Larkin, who owns the business with her husband Michael on the Ballina to Birdhill road, spoke of the complete shock and joy she felt on receiving the news over the weekend.

“When our visitors from the National Lottery arrived here on Sunday evening, I was totally overwhelmed and in quite a state of shock.

“I couldn’t believe that it was our store that sold the winning ticket worth €30.9 million. We are coming up to 21 years in business here this March so what a way this is to mark the occasion.

“The vast majority of our customers are locals so we hope that the winner might be a local too and wish them all the very best with their huge win.”

Ms Larkin said the lucky store had a win of €500,000 in 2009 and also sold a winning €25,000 scratch card ticket.

There was a great buzz of excitement as photographers and television crews from RTE and Virgin Media conducted interviews with the owners and staff on Monday.

Up to ten people work in Larkin’s Gala Store, which includes some employees with service ranging from ten to 15 years. The garage employs four people that includes Michael Larkin and his son, Kieran.

Speaking to the Clare Champion, Siobhán admitted €30.9 million is a mind-boggling sum of money to win.

“I still can’t believe someone won €30.9 million. You only begin to realise it when you see the figure lit up outside the shop. I wish the winner the best of luck and I hope they enjoy every minute of it.”

She said it is great to have a good news story after a few “horrendous” years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The last few years were the toughest in my 21 years of business. I wouldn’t go through it again. It was tough keeping all our staff safe. I deliver groceries and leave them outside the door for elderly people.

“This morning there was a girl locked down with Covid-19 so I sent over her messages and left them hanging on her gate.

“For a small shop, we have proven to be very lucky. You couldn’t buy all the publicity from this win.

There has never been a post office in Ballina, as the post office has always been located across the bridge in Killaloe. Before the introduction of the Eircode, Siobhán said correspondence
for the shop could end up in Ballina, County Mayo unless the address specified Ballina, Killaloe.

Acknowledging €30.9 million is a huge sum of money for one person to win, Michael Larkin expressed a preference for a group or syndicate to be confirmed as the lucky owners of the winning ticket.

With the store attracting a lot of passing traffic, he said a lot of Limerick people have moved to Ballina and the winner could even possibly be a visitor who dropped into the shop after leaving the village.

“The shop is well supported locally. Going to the shop was an escape for some customers during Covid-19. A woman from Birdhill told us the staff in the shop kept her going because they were the only people she met.”

“This win is a big boost for the shop. I didn’t think it would be as big as this and there would be as many of ye (media) around today,” he joked.

Kieran Larkin said his family are running the filling station and nearby garage for almost 21 years. Initially, the Larkin family had a garage with petrol pumps on the side of the street in Ballina until they moved out to the Birdhill road.

Kieran, who works in the garage as a mechanic repairing vehicles with his father, said the lotto win is great for the local community.

In addition to difficulties presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, he recalled the shop lost some business last March when access to the Ballina to Birdhill Road was restricted to facilitate the cutting of trees and hedges for the new Shannon River Crossing.

“Hopefully, people will now view Larkin’s as a lucky lotto shop and they will want to do the lottery here. We have regular customers who do the lotto every week. I wish the winner all the best.”

Pauline Quigley, Ballina, said it is “brilliant” for the shop to have sold the winning ticket, in particular during these difficult times.

Her daughter, Evelyn, who is married to Kieran Larkin informed the family of this great news early on Monday morning.

“It has given us all a boost. Best of luck to who ever has won it. Hopefully, it will be someone one local.”

Mary Dunne, Ballywilliam, has a daughter, Sarah, who works in the store.

“I am absolutely thrilled for Siobhán and Michael to have sold the winning ticket. It is great for the parish of Ballina. This win will give a boost to the store and will attract business into the shop. It is a great shop and is very busy.”

Gus McKenna, Ogonnelloe, said the publicity generated from this win will benefit the shop.

Frances McKenna, who is a first cousin of Siobhán Larkin, worked in the store from 2000 to 2010.

“Larkin’s have a very good shop with great staff. They deserve all the luck in the world. Within the first year of operation, they had two break-ins. One of them was a bad one.

“There was a lot of tears when we came in on the morning, the place was a mess. It is great to see such fun and laughter here today. There is a great working atmosphere in the shop.”