‘We thought €370k Lotto win news was a wind-up’

THE champagne was flowing at National Lottery headquarters in Dublin yesterday, as a lucky syndicate from Cork arrived to claim a cheque worth €369,210.

Members of the group of lucky 20 telesales workers said they thought news of the lottery windfall was a wind-up as staff are always playing pranks on each other.

The syndicate scooped the prize in a EuroMillions draw on Tuesday, July 11, when they matched five numbers and a lucky star.

While the colleagues were thanking their lucky stars for their good fortune, they were just one Lucky Star short of winning the overall jackpot of €17million – and so will Cheque mates: Staff Marguerite Murphy and Suzanna McAuliffe be back to work as usual after on the Cork Road in Mallow. their celebrations. The winners of €369,210 plan to

The winning €7 Quick Pick ticket split the winnings equally, meaning was bought at Foley’s Foodstore each will take home €18,460.

One of the youngest employees to receive the windfall was Eoin Maye, 24, from Fermoy. Mr Maye, who only joined the company a year and a half ago, received the call informing him of the group’s winnings while on holiday, and initially thought it was a wind-up.

‘One of the lads rang me and I didn’t believe him,’ he said. ‘But I came home straight away, and they told me it was true, so I was delighted,’ he said. Revealing that he planned to spend the money on a car, he joked: ‘I’m thinking an Audi. I might drive around, be a bit flashy.’

Ranging in age from 22 to 60, the winners all work in the telesales division at the Barry Group, a leading wholesale distribution company in Mallow.

Paul Ring, 31, who has worked at the Barry Group since 2009, was also on holiday when he got the call. Describing the moment he found out about the win, he said: ‘I got a phone call from a friend of mine who wasn’t in the syndicate.

‘We do wind each other up from time to time, so I didn’t believe him.’ Speaking at National Lottery HQ in Dublin, excited syndicate spokeswoman Emma Quaid said: ‘Tomorrow, it’ll be back to business as usual – but not before a few glasses of champagne.’

A jubilant Jim Barry, head of the Barry Group, was not part of the syndicate himself, but said he was delightd for the group. ‘They are genuinely lovely people, and I’m delighted for them,’ he said.

One star short of €17m jackpot