Albert set for third Winning Streak visit

An Arklow Lotto player could just be the luckiest man in Ireland as he prepares to appear on the Winning Streak television game show for the third time in six years.

Albert Bolger from Thomastown was selected to appear on the show this Saturday evening and the story is made all the more intriguing as he found the lucky scratch card discarded on the ground in Arklow.

‘I was going into Pettitt’s one day and I saw something which I thought was a €5 note. It turned out to be a Winning Streak scratch card with three stars that somebody must have thrown away. I filled it out and posted it off and before I did that I told some young students who were around at the time that I had made a great discovery and would be getting some exciting news in nine or ten days. Ten days later I got the call to say my ticket had been pulled out,’ Albert explained.

Albert, who has been playing Lotto and scratch cards for many years first appeared on the game show in 2010 where he won €49,000. Two years later he picked up €32,600. This wasn’t the full extent of his luck however, as two weeks ago he won €2,000 on Euromillions and during his lifetime he has matched five lotto numbers five separate times, winning amounts between €1,000 and €3,000.

‘I am a very lucky person and I always kiss the ticket before I send it off. I am a bachelor and I worked in construction in England for many years. The English always said that if you are unlucky in love you will be lucky in another area of your life and I believe that this is mine. I have a feeling that this time around I will be lucky enough to spin the wheel,’ said Albert.

Since his name was picked out last Saturday, it has been a busy time for Albert who is putting plans in place for his upcoming television appearance.

‘I have been delivering my 22 invitations to my friends and neighbours and I have a friend who will drive me up and them come in to be in the audience. Some people get nervous but I love going up on the stage,’ he said.

Albert says his secret to success is to always stay positive.

‘I always live by what my mother taught me – never to discard anything and to keep positive and look on the bright side. Every dog has his day and that is what I believe.’ Singer Sinead O’Connor has made a settlement with the Revenue Commissioners for €160,3014.90, according to a list published yesterday by the body.

O’Connor, with an address of Montebello, Strand Road, Bray, has been listed as having made a settlement after the underdeclaration of PAYE or PRSI. The original sum is €90,543 with interest of €42,599 and penalties of €27,162.90.Her occupation on the document is listed as ‘artist’. While the singer is still believed to own the property on Bray’s seafront with family members living there, she has been residing in the United States for several months.

In other areas of the report, Andrzej Ufnal, 10 Cookstown Road, Enniskerry, was fined €2,500 for failing to lodge income tax returns.

Michael O’Brien, 6 Ashlawn Court, Bray, received a fine of €2,500 for illegal selling of cigarettes, and Stephen Devlin of 3A Berryfield Lane, Bray, was fined €2,500 for misuse of marked mineral oil.

Mario Di Tofano, 5 Main Street, Newtownmountkennedy, a take-away food vendor, received a penalty of €102,915 relating to an under-declaration of VAT and Income Tax. Debbie Loane, 29 Main Street, Arklow, a clothing retailer, settled €35,658 for underdeclaration of income tax and VAT. The original sum was €21,398 with interest of €7,841 and penalties of €35,658.

Retired company director Michal J Moran, formerly of Griffinstown Glen, Grangecon, must pay €170,341 for underdeclaration of income tax and revenue offshore. The original sum is €63,139 with interest of €59,848 and penalties of €47,354. Landscape gardener Michael O’Reilly, Clogleagh, Manor Kilbride, Blessington, was penalised €12,988 relating to an underdeclaration of income tax and capital gains tax. Nicholas Kelly, Weavers Cottage, Rathdrum, was fined €2,500 for misuse of marked mineral oil.

The defaulters list contains details of published settlements completed by Revenue in the period April 1 to June 30, 2016, and January to March, 2016.