Shoppers in historic Shandon Street in Cork’s northside were in agreement this morning that the “nicest shopkeepers” in the country had sold the winning €250 million Euromillions ticket.
Local resident Noreen Kenny (76) has been shopping in Clifford’s Centra in the city since she was a small child and even bought her communion dress next door.
Ms Kenny said that staff at the third-generation family-run business go above and beyond for locals.
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“If you have heavy things they get the young fellas to bring them over for you. Or people getting their packs of coal are helped home with it. The shop is well worth supporting. It has been here for donkey’s years.”
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Ms Kenny said she accidentally ended up in a press shot with staff as champagne corks were popped this morning.
“If anyone sees me on the telly, they will think I won it! I do hope the winner is someone that needs it. I hope they will help the homeless with it.”
Simon Champ, manager at Clifford’s Centra, said that the reaction to the big win at the shop has been “nuts”.
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“[As you can see] the community here is beeping their horns. They are waving at us. There is so much excitement around the community. It is great.
“We have had business owners up and down the street coming over and congratulating us and shaking our hands. We have had customers congratulating us. It is great. Shandon Street is part of the city centre but there is a real community around here as well.”
Mr Champ insisted that they have no idea of the winner’s identity or even when the winning ticket was sold.
“I have no clue. I know it wasn’t me anyway!”
Thirty-one people are employed at the store and plans are underway to have a big celebration in the coming weeks.
Shops which sell jackpot-winning tickets are rewarded by the National Lottery. The Centra in Shandon Street will receive €25,000.
The owner of the shop, Ted Clifford, is overseas on a holiday. He told Morning Ireland, on RTE Radio 1, that their stroke of good luck started on New Year’s Eve when they sold a ticket which scooped €100,000 for a local person.
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“That’s when our luck, or winning streak, started.”
Clifford’s shop was opened in 1930 by John Clifford. His son Jim started running the shop when he was a teenager with Ted Clifford taking over from his father in 1985. The shop became part of the Centra group over 25 years ago.
Meanwhile, shopper Mary McCarthy said that Clifford’s has “the nicest shopkeepers you ever met in your life.”
“I am shopping here 38 years on a daily basis. Anne O’Sullivan, my sister, works there for the last 26 years. The staff are so helpful to the elderly.
“Every single one of them from young to old. They go above and beyond especially for the elderly. There are loads of rumours going around about the winner.
“If I won it all of my children and myself would be gone.”
