€5.7m winner cheques in for Lotto jackpot
Gillian, 46, gets degree after quitting school before her Junior Cert
Spar staff THE lucky punter who won a €5.7million jackpot this week has made contact with Lotto chiefs.
The player bought their slip at the Spar Express store on Rathfarnham Road, South Dublin, for Wednesday’s draw.
A National Lottery spokesman said: “This morning we have been contacted by the ticket holder and arrangements are being made for the claim to be made in the coming weeks.”
The winning numbers were 1, 15, 22, 27, 31, 34 with the 42.
Spar Express shop owner Ken O’connor said. “This is amazing, we are hoping it is somebody local but we are a busy shop with a lot of passing traffic so we don’t know.”
YESTERDAY
Niall & Marian Finucane get degrees in 2002 NIALL Quinn’s wife Gillian has revealed she was inspired to go back to education after the soccer star netted an honorary degree.
The mum of two, 46, also told how she felt “embarrassed and stupid” for dropping out of school as a 14-year-old.
Yesterday, Gillian picked up a BSC Hons psychology degree in Belfast and she started a PHD course at DCU last week.
The Dubliner said university was never on her radar having stopped lessons before completing her Junior Cert.
But she got a push when watching the Ireland hero collect his college award.
Gillian said: “I just went along to the degree ceremony not really knowing what to expect and when I was there and I saw all the various ages and demographics going up on stage to collect their degrees.
“It started me thinking, ‘Why had I never done it and gone to college?’
“It kind of inspired me to register when I realised you didn’t need a formal education as a mature student and I started then in the January almost six years ago.
“I was nervous at the thought of even starting university and I’ve kept this pretty quiet because I didn’t really know if I would have the capability to do it and to finish it out but here I am.”
Gillian told the Ryan Tubridy Show how hardship as a teenager led to her quitting lessons.
She said: “There were circumstances around the family financially and otherwise that forced me to leave school and I wasn’t forced to be fair, it was just the situation we were in.”
FAMOUS
But Gillian admitted being the wife of a famous soccer star meant she felt the need to hide her lack of education.
She said: ”When you haven’t done exams, you don’t believe you are smart at all, and when you don’t even have a Junior Cert, you go through life thinking you are a bit stupid or thick and a bit embarrassed really. “I mean I’m married to Niall and I’ve had to go to a lot of events and I got good at asking, getting the people I was sitting next to to do all the talking in case they found out.”
However, speaking ahead of her ceremony, Gillian added she wanted to open up about returning to education after 25 years to encourage others.
She said: “When you don’t have an education it’s embarrassing.
“So it is a big relief to know that I was able to do it. I’m delighted and it is a really proud day for all of us heading to Belfast.”
I didn’t know if I would have the ability to do it but here I am GILLIAN QUINN