A Claremorris farmer toasted a €1 million win over champagne in National Lottery headquarters on Wednesday, just five days after the deadline passed for a separate €2.9 million jackpot to be claimed from a winning ticket purchased in the local Tesco last November.
The area’s million euro winner, a farmer who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased the Daily Millions ticket in Roches Centra, Balla, on Monday - the same day as the draw.
He then left the ticket in his unlocked car overnight.
On Tuesday morning, the Mayo Advertiser reported, via its website, that a Daily Millions winning ticket was purchased in Balla.
A post on the newspaper’s social media site was viewed thousands of times within a few hours.
The area was abuzz with who the winner could be. It did not take long for the Claremorris man to hear about the winning ticket and realise ‘it could be you’.
“The ticket had been lying in the car since Monday, which was unlocked,” he said.
“I looked the numbers up on the Lottery website and then went out to the car to get the ticket. When I saw the first number, I just knew – I was delighted,” he smiled.
The married father said matching up the six numbers was “an amazing feeling”.
“I can’t describe it - it’s like a dream,” he added.
Danny Roche, the owner of Roches Centra said there was a great buzz in the shop when they heard on Monday night that they had sold a winning ticket.
The winning ticket was a €1.50 Quick Pick.
Claremorris’s newest millionaire said he plans to spend his winnings on “holidays, maybe a new car, and we’ll put the kids through their education”.
He travelled to the National Lottery HQ on Wednesday to claim his prize.
Daily Million is a daily National Lottery game, with a draw each evening, which offers a top prize of €1 million.
This is the second €1 million Daily Million top prize to be won in the last two weeks.
Last Wednesday, a Dublin woman collected her €1 million Daily Million top prize which she won on Monday February 23.
