A Lotto curious locals

Fevered speculation in Limerick suburb over identity of €4.3m jackpot winner

Said they’d buy a home in the sun

LIMERICK is in a Lotto frenzy after Saturday’s €4.3million jackpot win.

The lucky Quick Pick ticket was sold in Whitty’s Mace shop, which previously sold a winning multi-million-euro ticket.

And yesterday the store’s owner compared the excitement of curious locals in the Caherdavin Heights store to a game of Guess Who?. DJ Whitty said: ‘There’s a great buzz around already this morning, with lots of people coming in, even though it’s a bank holiday weekend.

‘It’s like the board game Guess Who? around here this morning.’

The winning numbers for the sizable roll-over draw were 1, 7, 10, 17, 35 and 37. The bonus was 43.

Mr Whitty said he hoped a local bought the ticket, but added: ‘We might never know who won it, and yet someone might come in this morning and tell us.’

Business at the shop in the northern suburb of the city has been brisk – with locals turning up in their droves yesterday to buy a ticket, and to quiz staff about who may have won Saturday’s Lotto.

‘There’s been a steady stream coming in the whole time,’ Mr Whitty said. ‘We’re having a good bit of banter. They’re all questioning me about who it was, but we don’t know. It would be great if they do come forward.’

The Whitty family, originally from Wexford, have been running the store just outside Limerick city for the past 21 years.

In that time, prior to selling last night’s winning ticket, they sold one other Lotto winning ticket.

He said the previous win was a €2.2million ticket and it was shared by a group of people from the Davin Arms pub.

‘It is fantastic for Caherdavin and there’s a great buzz around this morning,’ Mr Whitty said of the latest windfall at his shop.

Lotto players from Leitrim and Louth also won €106,121 each at the weekend after matching five numbers plus the bonus.

The big win in Limerick follows a streak of good luck in the city.

Last November, someone in Limerick won €5.86million from a €5 Quick Pick ticket sold in the GPO on Cecil Street in the city.

The winner, who did not want to be identified, said they would take early retirement and buy a property in the sun.

That was the second Lotto jackpot won in Limerick in 2017, after a €3million jackpot was also won there in September.

Yesterday Dermot Griffin, CEO of the National Lottery, said : ‘This latest €4.3million Lotto jackpot win is our fifth of 2018.

‘We are asking all of our Limerick players to check their tickets and if they are the lucky ticketholder, sign the back of the ticket and keep it safe and contact the National Lottery Prize Claims team on 01 836 4444.

‘We are open from 9.15am on Tuesday and we will make arrangements for you to collect your prize.’