THE WINNERS OF the €17.4 million EuroMillions prize is a 32-person syndicate from a well-known hardware store in Thurles, Co Tipperary. The long-running syndicate from Stakelum’s Home & Hardware has been playing the lotto for over 20 years, store manager Joe Connolly told TheJournal.ie.Connolly said the windfall has sparked an outpouring of excitement in the town with customers visiting the store all morning and congratulating the syndicate members. Each member of the group will take home more than €543,000. The family-run business was established in Thurles in 1960. It has about 70 members of staff in total.“Any time you hear of a lotto win we’d have always said ‘I hope it’s a syndicate’,” Connolly said.
A family member of one of the syndicate died last night so the group will not be officially travelling to Dublin to collect the prize until next week. A spokesman for the National Lottery confirmed that someone from the syndicate had been in contact with them claiming to be in possession of the winning ticket, however, it cannot be confirmed until the ticket is presented at their Dublin office.“That’s the most valuable piece of paper in Ireland now and we urge them to keep it safe,” spokesman Robert Magee said.
‘The luckiest shop in Ireland’
The ticket was bought in Eason’s in Thurles Shopping Centre. The shop was involved in another lotto win as recently as last October when a customer won €7.5 million.“We are in shock! We can’t quite believe that we have sold two massive jackpot-winning tickets in quick succession,” shop owner Tom O’Toole said.