‘I couldn’t believe what I was seeing’: Kilkenny player nets EuroMillions windfall

A National Lottery player from Kilkenny is among those celebrating in recent weeks after they were one of a number of players claiming prizes totalling more than €280,000 across EuroMillions and Telly Bingo games.

The lucky local claimed their €20,534 EuroMillions prize after matching five numbers, with the winning ticket purchased online.

“I was out for lunch when I saw the email come through and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” the online player said. “I turned to a friend to quickly ask them to double-check it for me. Then the emotions kicked in, I was shocked, then excited, but soon after, I started thinking about what I was going to do and how I’d mark the occasion!”

The winner has since shared the news with family and is planning a special celebration, with hopes of travelling back to the place where they first met their partner.

From surprise online wins to tickets safely tucked away until claim day, each player had a memorable story to share.

First in the door was a Cork man, who won an impressive €195,442 EuroMillions prize after matching five numbers and one Lucky Star in the Tuesday, 19th May draw. The winning ticket was purchased online.

“When I logged into my account to check my ticket, I was expecting to see €3, certainly not €195,442! I always thought I’d be jumping up and down if this ever happened, but I stayed surprisingly calm and collected!”

While there are no major celebrations planned just yet, the Cork winner says the moment is still sinking in and he’s still deciding what’s best to do with his winnings.

A Tipperary woman made the journey to National Lottery HQ after winning €45,140 in the Telly Bingo draw on Thursday, 4th June. Her winning ticket was purchased from The Cabin on Main Street, Carrick on Suir, Tipperary. No stranger to a big win, she was delighted to return to the Winners Room to collect her second Telly Bingo Snowball prize.

“I always like to have my tickets sorted in advance of the draws, so I had this one sitting in the cupboard a week ahead of the draw. I didn’t get to watch it live, so later that day, I watched it on catch-up with a cup of tea. I honestly had to play it twice just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things or marked a wrong number off. I really couldn’t believe that I’d won. I’m definitely calmer winning this time, but I’m still absolutely over the moon – I even hid the ticket in the back of my wardrobe, the exact spot I hid my previous winning ticket!”

The Tipperary winner plans to enjoy the moment and is looking forward to treating herself soon, with sights set on a relaxing weekend away.

Also celebrating was a Dublin man, who won €18,903 after matching five numbers in the EuroMillions draw on Friday, May 29. He purchased his winning ticket at Nolan’s Supermarket, Unit 5, 49 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3.

“It was a few days after the draw and I asked the sales assistant to scan my ticket, and to my surprise, the slip she handed me said ‘Contact the National Lottery’. At this point, I knew I’d won a bigger prize than expected. My immediate reaction was ‘this is going on holidays for sure’. Norway has always been on the travel list, so it’s looking like I can start planning!”

Meanwhile, tonight’s Lotto jackpot is an estimated €3.5 million. Players dreaming of winning big are reminded that tickets can be purchased nationwide in-store, through the National Lottery app or online at www.lottery.ie ahead of the 7.45pm cut-off time for sales this evening.

Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage and the Irish Language. In total, €7 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 39 years ago. In 2024 alone, €239.3 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.