Three National Lottery players strike gold collecting almost €1 million

THREE elated players have made their way to the National Lottery's winners' room this Thursday to claim substantial prizes they had won in various games.

From the Lotto to EuroMillions and scratch cards, the fortunate individuals collected their staggering winnings, totaling an impressive €963,978. 

The first winner to enter the winners' room was a man from Wexford, who pocketed an astonishing €418,978 by matching five numbers and the bonus in the Lotto draw held on June 7.

This anonymous victor had purchased the winning ticket through the National Lottery app and experienced a moment of disbelief when the numbers flashed on his phone screen. After privately savoring the news overnight, he tricked his family into thinking he had won a mere €418 before joyfully revealing the life-altering amount. "I organised a family get-together over lunch and I thought I’d have a bit of fun with them, so I said I’d won €418 in the Lotto," he said.

"They were happy out and congratulated me, but then I interrupted their celebrations to say, sorry did I say €418? I meant to say €418,000," he laughed.

Another winner, hailing from Tipperary, celebrated a life-changing win of €500,000 in the EuroMillions Plus draw on June 13.

This fortunate player opted for a quick pick ticket and obtained it from Centra in Old Bridge, Clonmel.

Following their usual routine, they refrained from checking the numbers immediately after the draw, fearing sleepless nights if they had won. The following morning brought them both shock and elation as they discovered their good fortune. "I checked the following morning and nearly took weak! I told my partner who stored it away safely in the cupboard beside our passports –which we also plan to be using a lot more soon", he said.

Adding to the remarkable series of wins, a second Tipperary resident claimed a handsome €45,000 prize from a scratch card game. The lucky player, who had purchased the winning ticket at Top Oil Service Station in Cahir, celebrated their good fortune with thoughts of a dream holiday in Greece, a new car, and some well-deserved home improvements.

Nearly 30 cents of every euro spent on National Lottery games contributes to important causes in the realms of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage, and the Irish Language.

Over the past 35 years, the National Lottery has raised a remarkable total of over €6 billion for these worthy causes. In 2021 alone, an impressive €304 million was raised to support local communities across Ireland.