There were emotional scenes in the National Lottery Winner’s Room today as a couple from the South-East declared they can now buy their first ever home with their EuroMillions Plus winnings of €500,000.
The couple, with children in their teens, have been renting the same house for several years and thought they would never be in a position to actually own their own home.
“We are overjoyed. This means the world to us and is life-changing. With all the costs associated with rearing a family we simply have not been in a position to save enough for a deposit for a house. It was a dream of ours which we never thought would come true. This sets us up for life and gives us and our family great security.”
The couple are regular EuroMillions players and didn’t realise that their numbers had come up from last Friday night’s EuroMillions draw until the husband yestrday checked his ticket, which he had in his wallet. The Quick Pick was purchased in Carrolls Centra in Knocktopher, Co. Kilkenny.
“I travel with my job and try to buy my EuroMillions tickets in different shops around the country. It just struck me yesterday that I had not checked my numbers from Friday’s draw. I went into a shop to have it scanned and a message came up to contact the National Lottery.”
His wife was in the dentist when she got a text from her husband to call him urgently. “I thought something terrible was wrong. I just couldn’t believe it when he told me the news.”
The couple have already been checking out houses to buy in their home town and plan to also give modest cash gifts to close family members. “With growing kids in the house we will have lots of other uses for the prize money. For us to have our own home, mortgage free, means the world. We both are working so not having to pay rent means we will have some more disposable income.”
The couple recently booked a sun holiday for the family in Spain. “We were going on a tight budget but now we can splurge a bit and really enjoy it,” the ecstatic mum, who was on the verge of tears, said.
National Lottery Chief Executive Dermot Griffin said today: “We absolutely delighted for this couple. This is what the National Lottery is all about – helping people fulfill their dreams. We wish them the very best of luck in the future and lots of happy years in their new home.”
Meanwhile this Friday’s EuroMillions jackpot is expected to be approximately €75 million. Play in-store, on-line at lottery.ie or through the National Lottery App.
Nearly 30 cent in every Euro spent on National Lottery games go back to Good Causes all over Ireland in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage and the Irish language. More than €5 Billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established over 30 years ago. In 2017 alone, the National Lottery raised over €226 million for such good causes.
