Following the announcement by National Lottery officials, the M1 store has witnessed a surge in business, with hopeful punters praying that lightning will strike twice. Applegreen manager Laura McKittrick told the Irish Mirror: “This weekend has definitely been much busier than normal. We’re selling a couple of hundred extra Euromillions tickets a day.”
Since the announcement, word spread like wildfire around the area, with the garage even selling out of fuel over the weekend as lottery fanatics snapping up their tickets took advantage of petrol and diesel being priced at a celebratory 88.5c per litre. “A lot of customers are coming in saying ‘this must be a lucky shop’ and buying more tickets than they normally would,” Laura explained.
Following the draw on Tuesday 24th January, news soon broke that a syndicate had come forward to claim the jackpot, although the winners chose to remain anonymous when they picked up their prize from National Lottery Headquarters in Dublin. Laura remains hopeful it is a group from the Lusk community: “It could be anyone but we’re hoping it’s one of our own. We’d love to know out of curiosity. But of course it’s up to them whether or not they are going to go public.”
A previous lottery winner from north of the border has been quick to advise the mystery winners. Peter Lavery, a former bus driver from Belfast, won over £10 million playing UK Lotto in 1996, a figure which he has since tripled, and he has urged the latest members of the millionaire’s club to “keep cool” and seek sound financial advice. “I would just say to them, 'put the money in the bank for now and take time to reflect before making your next move',” he told the Independent.
However, the 54-year-old did explain that if they carefully look after their money, life will be far more enjoyable, saying the world could be their oyster: "I have seen so much of the world I would never have gotten a chance to visit otherwise. Australia, New Zealand, I've been to America 100 times and I have been on a cruise over 60 times in 20 years. So yes it has opened my life up to opportunities I would have never have had otherwise."
If you would like to be in with a chance of winning tonight’s EuroMillions jackpot of £21 million (€25 million), tickets are available to purchase online or from any authorised retailer in participating countries. Best of luck!