Ennis shop’s Winning Streak continues

THIRTEEN might be unlucky for some, but hopefully not for Joe Reid from Inch. Joe has been chosen to take part in this Saturday’s Winning Streak show with the chance to win a whopping €500,000.
He will be the 13th contestant to have purchased his winning ticket from O’Dowd’s convenience store in Ennis.
O’Dowd’s on the Turnpike Road has been dubbed one of luckiest shops in Clare. The store has seen not only 13 Winning Streak winners but also three lotto winners, including the €2 million Bredin syndicate.
Joe told The Clare Champion he isn’t worried about the so-called unlucky number. He said, “I’m not at all superstitious. It’s all the same to me, it’s just a number.”
He has asked his daughter Rosemarie to take his place on the programme and said he has no plans for any of his potential winnings. “Sure anything I win I’ll be delighted with. It will all go to my family anyway.”
He said he had no idea his name would be called out when watching the show last weekend. “I put my ticket in the week before. I thought to myself if I posted it on Thursday it would be on the top of the pile,” he laughed. “But it wasn’t called out that week, so the following Saturday when I was watching it I wasn’t expecting it at all.”
In all, 22 of his friends and family are set to travel to Dublin for the recording of the show, carrying their posters saying ‘On the Ball Joe’.
Another Clare contestant hoping to do well on Saturday will be Noel Jordan from Lisdoonvarna, who will also be appearing on the show.
“There is another contestant from Clare going up too, so that will be 44 supporters coming from Clare. It’s a bit of history,” said Joe.
Store owner Jim O’Dowd is hopeful the luck of the Irish this St Patricks’ Day will counteract any bad luck from the number 13 for Joe.
“We’ve been lucky enough here over the years. We’ve had a good run of winners here and we’re hoping that it will be lucky 13 for Joe. Myself and my wife will probably go up to Dublin and show our support for Joe or somebody from the shop will go. I’m delighted for him and I wish him lots of luck,” he said.
According to Jim, there is a great excitement in the shop as Joe’s appearance on the show draws nearer. “Having somebody with a winning ticket creates a bit of interest. It creates a real buzz in the shop. It’s good for business to have a winner as you notice more and more people coming in to buy their tickets here when they know you have a good record.”
For those hoping that the luck of O’Dowd’s continues when they buy their next ticket, Jim laughed as he pointed out, “We don’t give guarantees”.