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23 Dec 2025
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23 Dec 2025
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The Irish family syndicate who scooped a massive €17 million EuroMillions jackpot have revealed where they hid the winning ticket to keep it safe as the reality of their life-changing win slowly sank in.
The group officially claimed their €17m prize this week after matching all the numbers in the EuroMillions draw on December 12, with the winning ticket bought at Lidl in Cavan town. It marked Ireland’s 19th-ever EuroMillions jackpot win.
But while the celebrations were festive at Lottery HQ, the hours immediately after the draw were anything but calm.
One member of the syndicate said there were “a lot of missed calls and some chaotic hours” after they realised they were sitting on a ticket worth €17 million.
“I was trying to call each of the syndicate members over and over,” they said. “I’d say everyone had at least four missed calls from me, and it was probably a few hours before anyone returned my call.
“Imagine sitting with a ticket worth €17 million and I can’t get anyone on the phone. When I finally got a call back to deliver the news, they just kept asking was I sure!”
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With the value of the ticket weighing heavily on them, the family quickly decided it was safer out of the house.
“The thoughts of having a ticket worth this much in the house was just too much, so the local bank put it in their safe,” they revealed.
“This all still feels very surreal so I think it will take a while to fully believe what’s just happened.”
As for plans, the syndicate said they are already dreaming big but keeping it family-focused.
“We have a few things in mind,” they said. “We’re hoping to buy homes for our close family members, and we’re looking forward to house hunting for a holiday home in France so we can enjoy holidays together.”
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The celebrations didn’t stop there, with a Louth man also in good spirits after landing €25,287 in the December 20 Lotto draw with a Match 5 + Bonus win.
His ticket was bought at Londis Top Shop in Ravensdale, Dundalk, but he missed the draw live and only realised later what had happened.
“I usually watch the draw live, and this was the one week I didn’t,” he laughed. “When I checked my ticket, I tried calling the entire family and no one answered.
“So I posted a message in our family WhatsApp group asking if anyone saw the Lotto and included a photo of my ticket with the results. The replies came flooding in once they saw that!”
The lucky winner is now planning a celebratory holiday in the New Year.
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