I sold golden
Wild celebrations over mega prize as store to land €25,000 windfall
WILD celebrations yesterday broke out at the shop where Ireland’s biggest Euromillions jackpot ticket was sold.
Store owner Les Reilly couldn’t contain his delight over the €175million prize and punched the air in jubilation.
Irish Mirror reporters arrived just after staff at the Daybreak outlet in the Naul, Co Dublin, were informed by the National Lottery they had sold the winning ticket.
Celebrations spilled out on to Main Street as passers-by hugged and highfived the owner and his staff after news of the massive prize spread.
Mr Reilly said: “I’m very emotional, I’m very happy, I’m delighted with a bit of good news for a change.
“There’s been a lot of speculation about who might have won but I can’t say anything at the moment and if it is true then I’m delighted.” He was speaking before the Irish Mirror exclusively discovered the Rogers family syndicate had bagged the life-changing sum.
Mr Reilly said he did not know when the winning slip was bought.
He added: “I haven’t a clue as to what type of ticket it was.
“We sold a few winners over the years, around €25,000 it was and this is our first jackpot winner... and now this.” Mr Reilly suspected it was the family syndicate but he did not disclose anything at the time.
He said: “Fair play to them, they are ones in hundreds of millions.
“It’s business as usual for us but we are also going to celebrate and enjoy ourselves.”
Other staff members said they were struggling to believe their shop had sold the country’s biggest Euromillions jackpot.
Mr Reilly’s niece Carly Reilly-flynn said: “It’s just amazing.
“Everyone here is just over the moon. It’s such a massive win. No one can still believe it.”
The shop’s owners became aware they had sold the winning ticket before they were informed by Lotto HQ after receiving reports of who had claimed the jackpot.
Staff knew the lucky syndicate had bought their tickets in the shop and hoped for the best.
Celebrations were well under way when employees from the National Lottery arrived to deliver official confirmation and Champagne.
Lotto head of marketing Michael Hayes said the jackpot is a massive
I’m very emotional, delighted with a bit of good news for a change
SHOP BOSS LES REILLY
CO DUBLIN YESTERDAY