Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Moneysignor!
Blessed priest lands €500k in Lotto win & vows to share
LOTTO JOY 1
BY CLAIRE SCOTT AN Irish priest who won €500,000 in EuroMillions has been named locally as Monsignor John Delaney.
The retired cleric, originally from Farmhill, Crossboyne, in Co Mayo, but now based in Florida, bought the winning quick pick ticket in Donnybrook Fair in Malahide while he was home for the holidays.
The lucky priest joked God must be listening to his prayers – because this is not his first lottery win.
He revealed he had previously scooped
IR£15,000 on the old Irish Sweepstakes, which was replaced by the National Lottery 30 years ago.
The blessed cleric also won sums of $3,000 and $5,000 over the years in lotteries in the States.
But he pledged he will share his winnings with those in need.
Msgr Delaney said: “I suppose you can say I am lucky. But I have always had a policy of sharing my luck around. That is something my late mother taught me, and something that was drummed into me by a bishop as a young priest.
“I am a big believer that what goes around comes around. This is a huge amount of money and I look forward to giving some back.”
He was ordained in his native Ireland on June 21, 1964, and went to the Archdiocese of Miami that August. In May 1995, Msgr Delaney began serving at All Hallows Seminary in Ireland while assisting seasonally at St Helen, Fort Lauderdale. He retired in March 2004.
Last Saturday he heard he had one of the two winning EuroMillions Plus tickets.
He said: “I didn’t get too excited when I first heard.
“I went back to the shop and gave the ticket to the same girl I bought it from to be checked.
“Lo and behold there was a message on the system to contact the National Lottery, so I knew then I had won.”
This is a huge sum of money & I look forward to giving some back MSGR JOHN DELANEY
YESTERDAY DUBLIN