Mayo syndicate collect €11.1 million Lotto prize

THE first Lotto jackpot prize of the year has officially been claimed, as a Mayo syndicate arrived at the National Lottery’s winners room, filling it with buzz and excitement.

The group purchased their winning Quick Pick ticket, worth an incredible €11,101,286, for the February 25 draw at Kelly’s Mace in Newport.

Revealing the discovery of their win, the head of the syndicate said: “I heard on the local radio that there had been a win in Mayo, so of course I had to check the ticket straight away. I had to call in for help - I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“We sat down, phone in one hand, Lotto ticket in the other, going through the numbers, ticking them off one by one. It was very surreal.”

It wasn’t long before a series of good news phone calls were made. “Straight away, we were on the phone to tell the rest of the syndicate. One of them actually joked, ‘Are you calling to tell me we won the Lotto?’ Little did they know we really were!”

The syndicate from the west is already dreaming big with hopes to purchase homes, start home renovation projects and plan some well-deserved holidays. “It’s back to the 9 to 5 tomorrow, but we’ll have to get together and celebrate the win properly soon!”