Irish lottery winners on dark side to jackpot – one said ‘I won’t have peace’

A new millionaire has been crowned after winning more than €1million in the Lotto Plus Raffle, but some previous National Lottery winners have spoken honestly about the darker side of sudden wealth

A fresh millionaire has emerged in Ireland following a lucky punter’s win of over €1million in the special Lotto Plus Raffle top-up prize.

The National Lottery has confirmed that the fortunate ticket holder purchased their winning slip, bearing Raffle number 8275, from Malone’s Londis on Dublin Road in Ardee, County Louth.

This latest win follows on from a Cork family syndicate’s record-shattering €250million EuroMillions jackpot claimed last July. The winners, who opted to keep their identities private, released a statement saying: “We’re planning to remain in Ireland, and we promised ourselves that we won’t let this win change us.”

While the family vowed not to allow their newfound wealth to alter them, previous National Lottery winners have shared chilling accounts of how the initial joy of striking gold can quickly transform into distress, revealing a troubling reality behind such windfalls.

Margaret Loughrey

Strabane native Margaret Loughrey scooped £27million (approximately €31m) back in 2013.

The then 48-year-old had just visited the job centre before purchasing a Lucky Dip EuroMillions ticket. Yet despite this dramatic reversal of fortune, she would later reveal it “destroyed” her life.

Though she found the sudden wealth overwhelming, she distributed a million pounds to each of her siblings and supported her local community in numerous ways.

Margaret, who became known locally as Maggie Millions despite previously surviving on just £71 weekly, quickly found herself weighed down by her windfall. Her brother, Paul, recalled: “I was the first to be told. We were close right up until the money. But from that day, I knew. I told the rest of the family, ‘This is not going to be good for Margaret.’

“Over the years, people have said to me, ‘It must be great to win all that?’ But I’d say, be very careful what you wish for, because it nearly ruined all our family. Not just Margaret.”

Despite providing her siblings with money, Paul maintained Margaret found it difficult to manage, and she “chased” her four brothers and sister away. He described it as “very sad” and stated she “just didn’t want to know us anymore”.

She was sectioned months following her win, and two years afterwards, she was convicted of assaulting a taxi driver and was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service as punishment. In court, it emerged she was “highly intoxicated” at the time.

Speaking in 2019, Margaret, who stated she was left with just £5million by that point, told the Sunday Life: “I will never have peace as long as I live. Even if I didn’t have a penny left, I won’t. I regret winning the lottery. Of course I do. I was a happy person before. I am a human being, and all it has done is destroy my life.”

She died suddenly in 2021. Her death was not treated as suspicious, and her family confirmed she passed away of natural causes after an illness.

Her numerous charitable gestures to local causes were chronicled following her passing, and she once remarked to the BBC: “No point having £27m and being lonely. That can’t make me happy, that can only make me happy that everybody else’s happy, and so far everybody is absolutely delighted.”

Matt Rogers

Dublin-based farmer Matt Rogers also previously held the record as part of a family syndicate that secured €175.4million in February 2019. He and his eight siblings maintained their down-to-earth nature, marking the occasion with a modest €12.50 carvery meal.

Matt, who treated himself to a Peugeot SUV, continued residing in the family farmhouse where he was raised, temporarily staying in an outhouse during refurbishment works.

However, despite maintaining his traditional lifestyle, he also alluded to a more troubling aspect of becoming a EuroMillions winner.

In the immediate aftermath of the win, having opted against anonymity, the farmer found himself besieged by journalists at his farm, and addressing those assembled, he stated: “I was happy at the start but now with all this… [people calling in]… it’s like being in prison. It’s just a lot to take in.”

Following the five-word ‘prison’ admission, he had another candid moment, disclosing that his sister had advised him “not to say anything” — and when questioned about attending a press conference with his siblings, he responded with a shrug: “There will be something next week alright.”

Speaking last year, he urged the Cork winners to stay “grounded.” He told The Irish Sun: “I hope they enjoy the money. Hopefully, it [€250million] is well split up.”

Dolores McNamara

Dolores McNamara scooped €115million on the EuroMillions just over two decades ago.

The part-time cleaner was in her local pub in Limerick when she learnt of her life-changing win. Similar to the syndicates previously mentioned, she chose to continue residing in Ireland, purchasing the magnificent Lough Derg Hall in Clare for €1.75m.

She also acquired six properties for her six children throughout the Limerick region, though her publicly-known fortune brought troubling repercussions.

Dolores, now aged 64, was compelled to arrange round-the-clock home security following menacing kidnapping threats that resulted in her son and his family needing to move to an undisclosed address. This followed reports of an alleged abduction scheme involving local criminal gang members.

In a rare interview with the Limerick Leader, Dolores once reflected: “The question that has been asked of me most frequently was how I felt about my win and my answer is still the same — I feel disbelief and shock.

“Buying a ticket for that Euro jackpot was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I’d actually gone into the shop to buy a top-up for my phone and just asked the lady for a Lotto ticket.”