Four separate winners collected over €380,000 in scratch card and Lotto prizes at National Lottery offices in Dublin today.
Among the winners was a lucky woman from Co Meath who, after stopping at a service station to spend a penny, won a massive €50,000 on a National Lottery scratch card.
The delighted mum pulled in at the Circle K service station in Mellifont, Drogeda, Co. Louth, to go to the toilet.
When she saw a sign that the toilets were for customers use she pulled €5 from her pocket and bought an All Cash Platinum Scratch Card.
"I rarely buy scratch cards but I only had a fiver in my pocket and thought I would buy one. I scratched the card when I got back into the car and simply could not believe my luck!
"I texted my husband a picture of the card to be sure that I had indeed landed €50,000.
"You could say that getting caught short worked out very well for me.
The delighted couple said the first thing on their list is to bring the family on holidays to Florida.
"We bought a car earlier this year so a holiday was not on the cards. But we can follow our dream now to do this big trip. Our children are delighted. After that we may do a few jobs on the house."
The biggest winners of the day in Lotto HQ were an ecstatic Dublin family syndicate who claimed a €264,767 Lotto Match 5 + Bonus prize from Saturday, July 7.
The family, who chose their winning numbers using their birthday dates, purchased their winning ticket at the Londis store at the Magic Carpet Shopping Centre in Cornelscourt, Dublin 18.
The father of the large family syndicate stated that they would enjoy the celebrations over the weekend before splitting up their prize.
"There’s no better way to win a prize like this than with your own family. We have a wonderful weekend planned so we’re going to enjoy the celebrations before we start spending our cash.
"Most of the winnings will be spent on large mortgage repayments but I have also instructed them to have some fun with their new found fortune."
Meanwhile a lucky Kerry Lotto player picked up his cheque for a cool €47,928 he won on last Wednesday’s Lotto draw. The lucky Kerryman matched five numbers and the bonus, coming one number short of the €5.6 million jackpot.
The winner, who bought his ticket in the Supervalu store on Railway Road, Kenmare, Co. Kerry was in the National Lottery Winner’s Room with his partner.
"I’ve been playing Lotto since the start and its not my first stroke of luck," he said.
"About 10 years ago I won €1,500 and I’ve won a few smaller amounts but nothing comes close to this. I always check the numbers online and cross check with my ticket so my heart was in my mouth checking these.
"I couldn’t believe it and I still can't. I’m going to use this to pay a chunk of my mortgage."
Another lucky winner through the doors of the National Lottery was a delighted Dublin woman who won €25,000 on an All Cash Spectacular scratch card. The winning ticket was purchased at Dunnes Stores in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in Dublin 15.
Digital Desk