What We Know About The £152 Million EuroMillions Winners From Ireland
Updated: Thursday 21st February 2019
There has been plenty of speculation flying around since it was revealed the lucky winners of a €175 million (£152 million) EuroMillions jackpot were a family syndicate from Ireland. They are recipients of the ninth-biggest jackpot in the lottery’s 15-year history, so let’s take a look at what is known about who won the record-breaking nine-figure windfall.
Separating Fact From Fiction
There was a huge sense of anticipation ahead of the EuroMillions draw on Tuesday 19th February, as players across Europe dreamt of becoming overnight millionaires. It turned out that, from over three million winners overall, there was one jackpot-winning ticket that matched all five main numbers and two Lucky Stars to scoop €175 million and bring a long run of rollovers to an end.
Given the number of entries into the draw, it took slightly longer than normal for the number of winners to be totted up. When it was revealed on the night that the jackpot had been won in Ireland, speculation quickly began mounting about who the lucky winner may be. It quickly emerged that the winning entry was bought from a retailer, rather than online, but the Irish National Lottery stated that it would take some time before the identity of the winning store would be revealed.
However, in a quick turn of events, it soon came to light the winners had bought their entry from Reilly’s Daybreak store in Naul, County Dublin. It was then announced the winners were a family syndicate, and further details began to emerge.
Winning Ticket Stored in Argos Catalogue
Lottery winners in Ireland have a 90-day period from the date of a draw to come forward and claim their prize, but these latest winners wasted little time, making contact with Irish National Lottery officials the morning after the draw. It is thought a family member stored the winning ticket in an Argos catalogue under their mattress for safe-keeping on the Tuesday night, before visiting the Irish National Lottery offices in Dublin on Wednesday to begin the claims process.
The names of the winners have not been officially announced, but widespread reports indicate that the family includes husband and wife Kathleen and Charlie Sheridan, their seven daughters and two sons, along with Kathleen’s four sisters, two brothers and a number of others. A family spokesperson said: “This is unbelievable. It will take us some time to get our heads around this win and to organise ourselves. We are a very close family. We meet every week and we take holidays together every year.
“This is a dream come through for us. We don’t want this to change our lives. What is so exciting is that we will be able to share this money with children, grandchildren and extended family members.”
“It Hasn’t Hit Us… It’s a Major, Big Shock”
Emma, one of Kathleen’s daughters, revealed to The Irish Sun: “They’re going to share it between everyone… that’s what they’re like, a real tight-knit family. It hasn’t hit us… it’s a major, big shock. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. She (Kathleen) told us this morning and said not to say a word.”
Dermot Griffin, Irish National Lottery CEO, congratulated the family by stating: “Happy days like this is what playing National Lottery games is all about. We are just so pleased for the family and that this huge amount is being shared out. This is a historic day in the life of the National Lottery with the biggest ever payout from a draw-based game since we were established in 1987.”
The process of the family receiving their prize money is expected to be completed within the next few weeks, so keep up to date with the all the latest updates in the News section. Meanwhile, tomorrow night’s EuroMillions jackpot is worth £14 million so join a syndicate today to see if you can keep that winning feeling going.
Published: Thursday 21st February 2019Lottery News News Archive