Irish Syndicate Claims €175 Million EuroMillions Jackpot
Last Updated: Thursday 21st February 2019, 16:53
A syndicate of family members from Ireland has come forward to claim one of the largest EuroMillions jackpots of all time. They won €175 million (£152 million) in Tuesday night’s draw and are now looking forward to sharing the money with children, grandchildren and extended family members.
The winning ticket, bought in Reilly’s Daybreak in The Naul, County Dublin, was the only entry anywhere in Europe to match the numbers 1, 8, 18, 19 and 39, as well as the Lucky Stars 7 and 9. The top prize had been growing since a Superdraw was held at the start of the month to push it up past £100 million, and players from all nine participating countries had been taking part in their droves.
The news that Ireland had sold the winning ticket sparked excitement and speculation, especially when officials confirmed the next morning that a claim had already been staked. It has now been revealed that the jackpot was won by a family syndicate, who have been quick to say just how much it means to them.
A Dream Come True For Winners
“This is unbelievable,” said a family spokesperson, who is married to one of the syndicate members. “It will take us some time to get our heads around this win and to organise ourselves. We are a very close family. We meet every week and we take holidays together every year. This is a dream come true for us.”
Speaking about the future, he added: “We don’t want this to change our lives. What is so exciting is that we will be able to share this money with children, grandchildren and extended family members.”
The family realised they had won when one of the members checked the results online on Tuesday night. “I was numb! It took a bit of convincing everybody that we had won,” she said, adding that she had kept the ticket in an Argos catalogue under her mattress until the morning and ‘didn’t sleep a wink’.
The ticket has now been passed on to the Irish National Lottery for safekeeping until the prize is paid out, which is not expected to happen for a few days. It has been described as a ‘historic’ win by lottery officials as it is the largest payout ever in Ireland, with CEO Dermot Griffin adding: “We are just so pleased for the family and that this huge amount is being shared out.”
Syndicate Advantages
There are six brothers and sisters in the syndicate, according to reports, while there are another three siblings who are not part of the group but will still receive a cut. The money is then set to filter out to the extended family, showing how rewarding it can be to join forces with others and play together.
As well as family syndicates, there have been big jackpots won by groups of co-workers, while others prefer to team up with friends or neighbours. The great advantage is that you can all chip in to share the cost of playing, and therefore you can more easily purchase multiple entries than if you were on your own.
If you feel inspired by the latest winners, you could consider setting up a syndicate with your family or colleagues ahead of the next EuroMillions draw on Friday, or even join an online syndicate. Playing in a syndicate certainly worked for the Irish family, who can now enjoy life with €175 million in their combined bank accounts.