The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
The million dollar question
‘WHO is it?’ is the million dollar question in Killorglin and Listowel right now after a lottery bonanza swept through the Kingdom on Saturday evening.
One lottery winner in the county is down to good luck, but two Kerry winners in the same draw is stretching good fortune to the limits.
A family syndicate of two made the happy journey to Lottery HQ on Monday to pick up their prize of €2,266,323 after making their lucky combination at Hannah Mary’s shop in Killorglin.
“I got a call on Saturday night to say the Lotto had been won in the shop and all I kept saying was ‘are you sure it’s Hannah Mary’s?’... Of course everyone thinks I know who the winners are, but I don’t,” said proprietor Jerome Griffin.
Meanwhile in Maloney’s Newsagents, Listowel, a Match 5 and Bonus prize of €181,751 went to a Quick Pick selection. “My shop is situated between Agri Auto Parts and the Maid of Éireann pub and the hop ball between them is ongoing as each place is accusing the other of keeping the winner a secret,” he said.
Last weekend’s wins make it a total of €57 million in Lottery jackpots and prizes won in Kerry since the lottery began over three decades ago.
LOTTO mania hit Kerry with a bang this week following a whopping Kerry windfall totalling almost €2.5m which will be shared between two winning tickets bought in Listowel and Killorglin. However, the bulk of this – €2,266,323 to be precise – was won at Hannah Mary’s Country Store at Tullig, Killorglin following which a family syndicate of two came forward to claim their life-changing prize on Monday evening.
“We were on the way to the shop and a black cat ran in front of the car – it must have been fate,” exclaimed the syndicate spokesperson. And as the cheque was handed over the winners simply added: “that’s just fabulous”.
The win has so far led to a surge in speculation as to who the winners are but, so far, no reported sightings of extravagant fur coats or shiny new sports cars have been reported in the locality!
Jerome Griffin is the proprietor of Hannah Mary’s and it’s been a tumultuous few days to say the least. First, there was a late night call from Lottery HQ on Saturday, followed by the wave of customers to the shop on Sunday – all expecting Jerome to announce the winner.
“I got a call on Saturday night to say the National Lottery had been won in the shop and all I kept saying was ‘are you sure it’s Hannah Mary’s?’ as my heart was thumping,” Jerome stated.
“I then sent out a text to all the staff late Saturday night to tell them the news. After that, I posted it on Facebook and it just came alive after that. Everyone from Tullig back to the Point in Cromane is the winner at this stage,” Jerome added with a smile. And as the winners’ identity? “I genuinely don’t know the answer but that hasn’t stopped the place from coming alive with speculation. Of course everyone thinks I know who the winners are but I really don’t. I would be thinking it’s definitely a local as most of our trade this time of year is local. If it was June or July, it would be harder to call,” he added.
Jerome seems to have a bit of a touch at this Lottery lark as only last year one lucky winner at his shop in Castlemaine scooped the tidy prize of €315,000, while Hannah Mary’s only started its Lotto service in March, 2015.
“It’s certainly given everyone a great lift in the area and it’s a good news story coming into the dark winter nights. I just hope, whoever the winners are, are sensible and enjoy it,” concluded Jerome.
The lucky Killorglin syndicate will share in a jackpot worth over €4.5m as a second winning ticket was purchased in Donegal.
Meanwhile, the winner of the ‘Match 5 and Bonus’ prize of €181,751 went to a Quick Pick selection sold in Moloney’s Newsagents, Listowel and – just like Killorglin – speculation is going into overdrive.
“It hasn’t been claimed yet but it’s creating a great buzz around the place,” said Dominick Moloney, proprietor of Maloney’s Newsagents.
“I don’t have a clue who it is but we do a strong local trade and we sell over quarter of a million lottery tickets a year. We’re doing the lottery since it started 29 years ago and the shop has always had a great local tradition since my late parents started the shop in 1961.
My shop is situated between Agri Auto Parts and the Maid of Eireann pub and the hop ball between them is on-going as each place is accusing the other of keeping the winner a secret!”