A LUCKY Lotto winner has told how he will “still be shopping in Penneys” after scooping a €1million prize.
The head of the Dublin syndicate, who purchased the winning ticket at Spar in The Square Shopping Centre in Tallaght for Saturday’s draw, said he couldn’t believe his eyes when he checked the slip.
Speaking in Lotto HQ, he said: “I burst into my daughter’s room, startling her awake, and said, ‘Here quick, rub your eyes and check that!’”
The daughter checked the numbers, and the two sat across from each other in shock and silence.
Another member of the syndicate arrived shortly after, fresh from a weekend of socialising.
He joked: “Any headache I had from the weekend soon disappeared when I got the news that we’d won €1million!”
The head of the syndicate admitted he hadn’t stopped trembling since discovering their win.
He hid the ticket between t-shirts in his wardrobe for safekeeping before contacting the National Lottery Claims Team first thing Monday morning.
The family plans to split the jackpot equally, with each member receiving €250,000.
When asked if they had any splurge plans, the head of the syndicate said: “Nah, I’ll still be shopping in Penneys.”
The family is looking forward to celebrating with a special dinner and some travel around the world.
Also claiming a significant prize was a syndicate from Cork, who took home €262,554 after winning in the EuroMillions on Tuesday, 3rd September.
The group, consisting of four friends, has been playing together for two and a half years and will each receive €65,638.
The head of the Cork syndicate shared how close they came to missing out on the prize.
They said: “Myself and another syndicate member were debating who would buy the ticket for that night’s EuroMillions draw.
“I convinced him I would, as I wanted to grab a chocolate bar for my evening treat. If I’d let him buy it, we’d have missed out on €65,000 each!”
Finally, rounding out the day of winners was a player from Kildare, who collected a cheque for €82,584 after matching 5 numbers and the bonus in the 28th of September, Lotto draw.
The winning ticket was purchased at Spar, Newtown, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
Meanwhile, a Wexford player also became an overnight millionaire after purchasing their ticket for Saturday’s draw at Maxol, Newline Road.
Owner of the Maxol store Tony Butler shared his excitement, noting that this isn’t the first time his store has received a call from the National Lottery.
He said: “Would you believe it? This is our second big win in just under a year!
“Last October, we sold a Lotto Plus 1 winning ticket worth €1million to one of our customers.
“People often say these things come in threes, so we’re now waiting for the third!
“We’re a really busy service station, so I’d be surprised if the winner isn’t someone local.
“Whoever it is, we wish them the best of luck. It’s a great boost for Wexford Town.”
And Farhan Vhatti, Manager of Spar, The Square Shopping Centre, Tallaght, was thrilled to discover his store had sold its first major lottery-winning ticket.
He said: “I’ve been here for 10 years, and this is the first time we’ve sold a winning Lottery ticket! I’m absolutely delighted.
“€1million is such a life-changing amount. I’m so happy for one of our loyal customers, and I hope they truly enjoy the win.
“Now that we’ve had this big win, I hope more people will come here for their Lottery tickets —our store is now officially a Lotto Jackpot winning location!”
The Dublin and Wexford players are now the 8th and 9th Lotto jackpot winners of 2024.
