MORNING SHOPPERS at Dublin’s Donnybrook Fair were greeted with champagne yesterday as the store celebrated selling the weekend’s winning €16.4 million Lotto jackpot ticket.
The ticket, sold in the shop on Friday, was a mixed-play, multidraw costing €30. The winner must claim the tax -free winnings of €16,390,239 within 90 days.
Owner of the Morehampton Road store Joe Doyle, who has run a business there for 18 years, said: “We’re delighted to have sold the ticket here, we wish the winner the best of luck. It was bought on Friday but we’ve no idea who it was. There’s a lot of work syndicates locally like RTÉ and St Vincent’s hospital who buy their tickets here. But honestly, we’ve no idea.”
National Lottery spokeswoman Paula McEvoy said the winner “should now sign the back of the ticket. If it’s a syndicate, everyone in the syndicate should sign it and then put it in a safe place. The earliest they can contact us is Tuesday morning. We’d encourage them to phone us in confidence or come in to our offices on Abbey Street – we have plenty of champagne in stock.”
The jackpot which has been rolling for 16 draws is the second highest this year. In April, a couple who remain anonymous, bought a ticket in Co Waterford scooping €16.7 million, the second largest jackpot in Irish Lotto history. The biggest Lotto jackpot of €18.9 million was won in 2008 by the Dan Morrissey syndicate from Carlow.
Mr Doyle said National Lottery agent Jim O’Connor notified him at 8am on Sunday: “Usually when I get a call at that time, it’s about a broken tap or something,” he said.
Mr O’Connor, who was decorating the shop with Lotto bunting, said: “I told him I’ve good news for you, but you’re going to have a very busy day.”
So what did Donnybrook’s morning shoppers think about the local win? Local resident Drew Flood said: “We need it most here because we’ve lost the most.” He continued: “It’s the only good news we’ve had – we’ve been blaming Anglo and Fianna Fáil, but this is just what we need.”
Sarah Heneghan said: “I always buy my ticket here but I bought it somewhere else yesterday. People might think if you’re living in Donnybrook you’re rich and that the win is the rich getter richer, but maybe the person who bought it really needs it.”
Veronica Cinco, an employee of the Swedish embassy until it closed this year, has lived in Donnybrook for 20 years. “I bought my ticket here on Friday like I always do. I’m living with hope that one day I will win.”
What would she do if she won? “It is too much money so I would . . . give some to my family in the Philippines.”
Entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor Gavin Duffy said the numbers he played in Friday’s draw were his children’s birthdays. “I don’t know about it going to a wealthy or a poor area . . . I hope it brings them luck and that they spread it around.”
Ciara O’Brien who was shopping with her sons said: “I bought my ticket here yesterday at 5pm. If I won, I’d pay off the mortgage, secure the kids’ future and . . . give 50 per cent to charity.”
Tadhg Coughlan, out for his morning milk and papers, said: “Everyone’s been hit by the recession so good luck to the winner. I’d tell them to blow all the money – spend, spend, spend. If I won, I’d emigrate.”
The numbers drawn were 15, 16, 22, 25, 31 and 32. The bonus number was 37.
