Mayo family claim €500,000 Lotto Plus One win

HAPPY SELLERS The owners of the Harbour Quick Stop Store at Westport Quay celebrating selling a €500,000 winning lottery ticket, from left: Clara Harrington, Christine Harrington, Ian Coughlan, Kieran Harrington and Maria Harrington. Pic: Paul Mealey


A Mayo husband and wife who struggled through the recession are today celebrating a life-changing €500,000 Lotto win.
And the elated couple revealed they were blissfully unaware of their new found fortune for several hours as the winning ticket was buried in the bottom of the wife’s handbag.
The lucky husband and wife syndicate collected a cheque for €500,000 after winning the Lotto Plus 1 top prize in last Saturday’s draw. They purchased their winning Quick Pick ticket at the Harbour Store at the Quay on the day of the draw.
The elated pair described their win as ‘life-changing’ following a difficult number of years for their family: “Like most, we struggled badly during the recession and we have never fully recovered from a number of devastating setbacks we endured over the last number of years. This is a brand new start for all of us. This win takes the weight of the world off our shoulders,” said the delighted husband.
As the Mayo family lovingly gave their undivided attention to their Dad on Father’s Day last Sunday, the winning wife remained blissfully unaware to the fact that she had a half million euro Lotto ticket in her handbag.  
“After a long and relaxing Father’s Day, we had absolutely no idea that a winning Lotto ticket had been sold in the area. As we all relaxed in the living room on Sunday evening, my wife was looking at her phone and she suddenly jumped up and sprinted up the stairs. All of a sudden I heard a mad roar and I thought, oh Christ, what did I do this time!,” he laughed. “It was my wife after checking the winning numbers.
We have been checking and rechecking our ticket since Sunday night because we can’t believe it’s us. It is such a relief to finally handover the ticket for a nice big fat cheque. We’re not the type of family to splash out on fancy holidays and flash cars. We have learned that money isn’t everything but this will make our lives easier for many years to come,” he added.
The couple have chosen to remain anonymous.