When news filtered through that a EuroMillions ticket worth €88.5 million had been purchased at Applegreen Service Station in Lusk, Dublin, the husband of the latest winning pair was certain he was victorious. “I was absolutely convinced that I had won,” he told lottery officials. “I had the ticket for days and I was too afraid to check it.”
Of course, it wasn’t to be, as Lady Luck shared her warming embrace with another ticket holder that day, not that that discouraged the determined lottery fan: “Once I heard that the winners came forward, I promised that I would be next to win big,” he said. And win he did, scooping a sizeable six-figure sum in what the pair insist was a case of ‘second time lucky’.
The couple, who purchased their winning EuroMillions Plus entry from the Ard Easmuinn branch of Dunnes Stores in Dundalk on Monday 20th March, admitted that they will be thinking very carefully about how they spend the money, as they are still coming to terms with the win: "We still haven’t told anybody in our family, including our kids,” said the wife.
However, there are a few pressing issues that the lucky lottery lovers will certainly be addressing, with the first involving a trip to the bank: “It’s a great comfort to know that we will be finally free of our mortgage,” the husband revealed. Once their bills have been cleared, naturally, the pair intend to treat themselves: "For the last ten years, we have spent our holidays on staycation in Ireland so I think it’s time to treat ourselves to a nice sun holiday,” the couple beamed.
EuroMillions Plus is a supplementary game available to Irish EuroMillions players for an additional fee. Once the main draw has been made, a further draw is held, into which ticket holders’ five main numbers are entered.
If you fancy your chances of winning a EuroMillions prize of your very own, tonight’s jackpot is worth an estimated £39 million (€46 million). To join in the action, pick your numbers online or play via any authorised retailer in participating countries. And don’t forget, EuroMillions players can also take part in a range of supplementary games, including UK Millionaire Maker, EuroMillions Plus and My Million. Good luck!