Mayo family syndicate pick up €17 million Lotto cheque
A close-knit family syndicate from Mayo claimed the third highest jackpot in Lotto history when they travelled to Lottery HQ this week to pick up a cheque for the astonishing sum of €17,008,295
The family, who have opted to remain anonymous,, admitted that they are finding it hard to believe their good fortune, despite the fact that they won their massive prize almost three weeks ago, in the August 27 draw.
“I wish I could say that the news has sunk in by now but I’m waiting for hidden cameras to pop out and tell us that this is all a big joke. The last few weeks are a total blur and I still wake up in the middle of the night wondering is this real or just a mad dream. We’re all in shock and you’d think sitting in the Winners Room would help, but we just can’t believe it" said a member of the winning family group.
The winners said they were "all together" on the night of the draw when the email came in and they proceeded to check their account. "You always imagine that you’ll be jumping up and down, but we sat in silence and total disbelief. It’s really not what you imagine at all. I swear, Lottery HQ couldn’t open quick enough though. I was on to the Claims Team first thing the next morning and definitely breathed a sign of relief when the guys confirmed the win. I couldn’t tell you what else they said on the phone though, it’s all just a blur at this stage” said one of the members of the family syndicate.
Top of the bucket list for the family group at the moment is travel, with trips to America and Australia on the cards, while they are also determined to give back to their community by donating to a number of local charities.
After arriving at Lottery HQ to pick up their life-changing amount, the winners joked that there was one particular detail that they were happy to hear about.
“We thought we’d have to walk out of here with one of those massive cheques you see in all the photos. We were saying to ourselves how will we not attract an audience with that under our arms!”
The largest ever Lotto jackpot, which was won in January 2022 following the longest rollover in the history of the game, was claimed by a Mayo family syndicate.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s Lotto jackpot is rolling towards an estimated €3.8 million. Tickets can be purchased in-store, through the National Lottery app or at www.lottery.ie ahead of the 7.45pm cut-off time for sales on Wednesday evening.