Lotto millionaire keeps town guessing

Staff from McLoughlin’s Newsagent on Shop Street, Westport celebrated the news of selling the winning ticket from Saturday’s draw, from left: Thomasina Molloy, Margaret Leneghan and Deirdre Gannon.?Pic Conor McKeown

Lotto millionaire keeps everyone guessing


Westport shop celebrates second jackpot victory

Áine Ryan

HE – or is it she? – is one millionaire who will not have to worry about NAMA or share collapses at our big and broke banking institutions. Undoubtedly, Westport’s mystery millionaire is today sporting a smile broader than a Cheshire cat’s with a Lotto win over the weekend of a whopping €2 million, courtesy of a ticket bought in McLoughlin’s Newsagents on Shop Street.
Naturally, shop owner BlΡthnaid McLoughlin was thrilled that another one of her customers is a lottery winner – McLoughlin’s sold another winning ticket ten years ago.
“We are delighted there has been another winner here at the shop and we really hope it is someone local. We do not know the identity of the lucky winner yet but we wish them well,” she said last night.
Cllr Christy Hyland, a former detective garda who has his ear close to the ground, confirmed there were various rumours as to the identity of the winner but he kept his cards close to his chest.
“Whoever it is, I wish them well. It will lift the spirits of everyone around Westport and hopefully make life easier for the winner.”
Two names in particular have been on the lips of many people in the town over the the last 48 hours, but The Mayo News was unable to contact either individual yesterday evening.
A spokeswoman for the National Lottery confirmed last night that the prizewinner had not come forward to claim the €2 million yet.

Previous winner
It is just over a decade since the popular newsagent sold another winning ticket, worth £2.1 million to Bohea man, John Moran. The then 32-year-old was due to collect his first dole cheque the Monday after he became the lucky recipient of the bumper National Lottery prize in April 2001.
He cancelled his trip to the welfare office in favour of a journey to Dublin to collect his winnings. Hilariously, he old reporters when he collected his cheque: “I heard it had been won in the west and I went to check the numbers on Aertel with my son Shane (7). I ran up the stairs to tell my wife, Martina, that we had won and she told me I would have to come up with a better excuse to get her out of bed.”      
The former Allergan worker also revealed: “I had a back operation and was a bit fed up. I decided it was time to start enjoying life and now I really can.”

Spending spree
WHAT Mayo’s newest millionare decides to do with their shiny new spondulix is a matter for speculation. But in a straw poll carried out by The Mayo News yesterday, 95 per cent of respondents were more in favour of them buying a new mattress and placing the wads of cash under it than investing in the banks. Other respondents suggested that the lucky winner purchase a large luxurious yacht and sail for the Mediterranean. They warned, however, to avoid Greece for the foreseeable future.