A Co Tipperary shop was buzzing with excitement on Thursday as customers and staff guessed who could be more than €7 million richer after the latest National Lottery draw.
Wednesday night's winning ticket was sold in Eason in Thurles Shopping Centre. The ticket, which the National Lottery confirmed was a "quickpick", is worth €7,545,870. There was just one winner of the jackpot.
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“It wasn’t me, that’s for sure,” said Fiona Murphy, after she checked her ticket. “Pity, cause I have it spent already in my head. There’d be no stopping me - €7 million of it would be gone before the weekend!”
The winning numbers were 8, 10, 11, 25, 28, 32 - with the bonus number 35.
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“Hopefully, it was someone local,” said Deirdre O’Toole, manager of the family-owned shop. “But we’ve no idea. Everyone is so excited. One of our staff was a few minutes late to work this morning - by the time she got here we had decided she was the new millionaire.
“We might never know who won the prize if they don’t come forward. But this is a small town, the rumourmill has already gone into overdrive. The lottery give great advice to whoever wins it and what they should do next.”
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Mary Grace, National Lottery regional sales rep, said “congratulations to whoever won, and the first thing they should do is sign the back of the ticket - as well as anyone else who owns a share of the prize. Put it in a safe place, and then contact the claims department.”
Back on the shop floor, every regular customer that walked into the shop was being asked if they were suddenly a multi-millionaire. Most jokingly claimed they were. “I wish,” said Frank Hayes. “Would I be here if I was? I’d be in the Airport already heading for the Bahamas. Fair play to whoever won. I hope it changes their life for the better. It surely will.”
There was also one winner of the Lotto Plus 2 draw, with someone “in the North” holding a ticket worth €250,000.
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