The National Lottery is not too happy about the invasion of the UK Lottery in the Republic and has seen its own sales in the North plummet since. Ray Bates got a little confused when trying to clarify how Irish lotto tickets are sold in the North.

Enterprising retailers bring the tickets to a lotto retailer in Newry, he explained. Newry is in the South, he said. No, I mean its in the North, he said. Retailers bring the lotto slips from Newry and other parts of Northern Ireland to Southern Lotto agents along the border.

"You're obviously not sound on the National Question," remarked one wag.