A Cork-based lottery syndicate only discovered it had won almost €380,000 just 1½ hours before the deadline to claim the prize.
The winning syndicate, who wish to remain anonymous, scooped €381,863 after they matched five numbers and a lucky star on their EuroMillions ticket on Friday, May 6th. The six-member syndicate each won €63,643.83.
They had 90 days which ran until last Thursday to claim the prize. The syndicate leader only decided to check his ticket that afternoon having been urged to do so by the other members.
To his consternation he discovered that he had the winning ticket and called the National Lottery at 4pm. They informed him that he was supposed to present it at lottery headquarters in Dublin by 5.30pm that evening.
The ticket was purchased on the day of the draw at Tesco in the Market Green Shopping Centre in Midleton.
Midleton is 270km from Dublin which could not be covered in the time available even in a Ferrari.
The organiser provided proof to the National Lottery that he had the winning ticket. The lottery organisers made a judgment call “in the interest of safety” and decided to keep the deadline open until the winners arrived later that night.
The syndicate leader said he was grateful to the other members who kept pestering him to check his ticket when the prize was still outstanding.
Even when he discovered they had won, he thought they had another two days to claim his prize until he was informed in Tesco that he had just hours to do so.
He said: “For the last couple of weeks, we have all heard the reports in the media but I never thought that it would be our ticket. When I finally checked the ticket on Thursday, I just could not believe our luck.
“I made the phone call straight away and confirmed all of the details with them over the phone before we made our way up to National Lottery headquarters later that evening.
“I don’t think I would be allowed to run the syndicate again if I missed out on the deadline.”
