'I won €5k in EuroMillions and was thrilled, then the Lotto told me to sit down'

Irish Daily Mirror

23-05-2025

Co Meath is buzzing with excitement after two local Lotto players struck it lucky - but one man's rollercoaster win is grabbing extra attention.
The man thought he had bagged a modest €5,000 in the EuroMillions Raffle and was thrilled with the windfall. He explained: "I was truly delighted with that win, I thought to myself, 'Happy days!'"
But what happened next took the win from pleasant surprise to life-altering shock. When he rang the National Lottery Prize Claims team to collect his €5,000, he was asked to sit down. He then learned he'd actually won a whopping €255,000 instead of just €5,000.
He stated: "Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived. I had to return to work, and it was a busy afternoon – how typical? However, mentally, I was lying on a beach soaking up the sunshine."
When asked about his plans, he said: "We've always wanted to go to California, and I've already an itinerary drafted. My car also sounds like a wooden ship, and the dash is lit up like a Christmas tree, so a new car is undoubtedly on the cards."
The National Lottery is running a special Ireland Only Raffle promotion throughout May that boosts the usual €5,000 prize to a whopping quarter of a million euro. Previous winners were in Dublin (3), Meath, Limerick and Wicklow - and there's still three more up for grabs.
The lucky win comes amid another huge prize celebration in Meath - another man recently hit the EuroMillions Plus jackpot, winning an astonishing €500,000. His winning ticket was bought in SuperValu in Ratoath on Friday, May 2, where balloons and excitement marked the win.
He explained: "I had a few old tickets lying around and decided to get them checked. One of them printed a slip telling me to contact the National Lottery. I didn't think much of it until I noticed the shop was decked out in balloons. I was driving home and that's when it hit me, I could be the winner."
The winner, who only recently added the EuroMillions Plus option to his Quick Pick tickets, was so stunned he had to pull over mid-drive to check his numbers online.
"The first thing I did was call my partner", he said. "She was completely speechless. We're absolutely over the moon!'
The couple is already planning a dream family holiday to Italy, and the windfall will help secure their future, especially with college on the horizon. He said: "This means we can secure our family's future, especially with college coming up. It's a dream come true."
A National Lottery spokesperson said: "Dreaming of becoming Ireland's newest EuroMillions winner? Not only are players in with a chance of winning an additional €250,000, tonight's jackpot soars to an estimated €185 million. Players are reminded that tickets for tonight's draw can be purchased in-store, through the National Lottery app or at lottery.ie ahead of the 7.30pm cut off.
"Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on all National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage, and the Irish language. In total, more than €6.5 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 37 years ago. In 2023 alone, €227.9 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland."