EuroMillions Win ‘To Make Life A Lot Easier’
The numbers drawn on Tuesday 5th June were 9, 15, 22, 39 and 46, with Lucky Stars 4 and 5. It was quickly announced that Ireland had created its first jackpot winner since Friday 29th December, after a ticket matching all seven numbers was purchased in Eason in Thurles shopping centre.
The winners have wasted little time in coming forward, and the money can now be split between the fortunate syndicate’s 32 members. The players are all current or former employees of Stakelums Home and Hardware store in Thurles, where up to 70 people work. Each group member will collect €543,000.
“It’s a nice amount of money to win. It will certainly pay a lot of bills and make life a lot easier,” said store manager and syndicate member Joe Connolly. A number of the group members were abroad on holiday and did not believe what they were being told until Joe passed the phone to Ger Sammon, the business’ financial controller who checked the numbers and managed the syndicate.
A Boost For Local Businesses
“Builders and painters have been in and out to us today joking that there could be a lot of work coming their way,” added a delighted Connelly, although he insisted that celebrations would be muted after the death of the father of one of the members of the syndicate.
Connelly said: “We are conscious of our colleagues who are not in the syndicate. And there is a bittersweet feeling given that one of our staff members has had a bereavement.”
Everyone in the syndicate contributed €4 per week to take part. One member of the group has worked at Stakelums for about 40 years, while another has only been with the syndicate for six months.
Playing in a syndicate is an excellent way to increase the odds of winning. Members of the Thurles group, for example, only paid the same as if they were buying one line each, but they had 32 chances of winning in each draw instead of one. The prize could then be split and they could enjoy the moment together.
You can join a syndicate online ahead of the next draw on Friday, and then wait to see if the jackpot is won for a third consecutive draw. The top prize will stay at its minimum €17 million (£14 million) following the Irish group’s success last time out.