Brexit bonus: Fears drive sales of tickets for house draw
BREXIT fears among Irish people in Britain are driving ticket sales for a GAA club draw which has a house in Co Donegal as top prize.
St Eunan’s GAA club in Letterkenny has held a number of successful house draws. Now officials at the club say there has been a surge in the number of tickets being bought online in Britain because of fears around Brexit.
This year’s draw will take place on April 21, with the first prize a €200,000 three-bedroom home in Letterkenny, and people in Britain are snapping up tickets on the club’s website www.gaahousedraw.com.
“We’ve noticed a huge surge in sales there this time around. I’ve spoken to a few people I know over there [in Britain] and their decision to buy a ticket has been driven by a desire to come home to Ireland because of Brexit,” the club’s draw co-ordinator Ciaran Haran said.
“There is a great fear over there about what will happen in just a few weeks’ time and I suppose a lot of Irish people who have always dreamed of coming home but never got around to it have had their minds focused on doing that because of Brexit.
“We’d be looking at the number of ticket sales online to people resident in Scotland, England or Wales as having increased fivefold on a couple of years ago.”
Celebrities including singer Daniel O’Donnell have backed the draw.
“It’s an incredible chance for someone to win a dream home in our fabulous county – and back a club which does so much for the community in Letterkenny. Everybody wins,” he said.
There had been huge interest in the €100 tickets from other parts of Ireland too, said Mr Haran.