The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
A SYNDICATE of seven, who wish to remain anonymous, became instant millionaires when their numbers turned up trumps in the biggest Lotto jackpot of the year.
The syndicate have played Lotto each week for the last two and a half years and their winning ticket was bought in Miniters on Henry Street in Kilrush. It was a mixed-play ticket and a Quick Pick was the winning line that landed them the massive €8.3 million win.
This week National Lottery Chief Executive, Dermot Griffin, presented a cheque for €8,302,204 to the delighted winners as they claimed their huge prize at National Lottery offices in Dublin.
One of the lucky syndicate members spoke of the excitement the group has experienced since suddenly becoming Lotto millionaires.
The spokesman recalled that when he heard that the winning ticket was sold in Kilrush, he logged on to the Lottery website and was in “total disbelief when I saw we’d won”.
“I couldn’t focus on the numbers. I thought that there must have been a mistake,” he added.
”I felt about 90% sure we’d won, so I phoned the rest of the group and said, ‘I think we’ve won the Lottery’. Some of them thought I was messing and one said, ‘we’ve either won or we haven’t – there’s no think about it’.
”It’s an amazing feeling. We’re absolutely delighted – it’s made millionaires of us all”.
Syndicate members plan to have a quiet celebration and take some time before making plans.
This is the largest Lotto jackpot winning ticket to be sold in Co. Clare in Lotto history. Over €45 million in Lotto jackpot and Lotto Plus top prizes has been paid out to Co. Clare players since Lotto began in 1988.
