The Biggest Irish Lotto Winners of All Time
Irish Lotto has been giving away impressive jackpots since the game started in 1988, with the biggest winners claiming multimillion-euro prizes that have stretched into eight figures. Learn more about the largest wins ever achieved on Irish Lotto.
The following table shows the biggest Lotto jackpot wins of all time. You can read more about the winners' stories below:
| Draw Date | Amount Won | Winning Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15th January 2022 | €19 Million | Co Mayo |
| 28th June 2008 | €18.9 Million | Co Carlow |
| 14th April 2010 | €16.7 Million | Co Waterford |
| 23rd October 2010 | €16.3 Million | Dublin |
| 28th July 2007 | €16.1 Million | Co Cork |
1. €19 Million - Saturday, 15th January 2022
The largest Lotto jackpot in Ireland’s history went to a single ticket after a special ‘Will Be Won’ draw on Saturday 15th January 2022. There had not been a winner of the top prize since the previous June and it had been at its cap for more than three months, so the rules changed to guarantee a payout.
The jackpot would have been split between players in the next category down if nobody had matched all the numbers, but one lucky player from Castlebar in Co Mayo got the lot to set a new record. The money was claimed by a family syndicate, who said they wanted to use it to help change people’s lives in their local community.
Did you know? The jackpot cap has been set at €19.06 million since the Castlebar win in 2022. Once a rollover sequence pushes the top prize up to or past this amount, no more money can be added to the jackpot until it is won and a new cap will be set. The jackpot can then only stay at its cap for a maximum of five draws before a Will Be Won draw is held. Find out more on the Prizes page.
2. €18.9 Million - Saturday, 28th June 2008
A syndicate of 16 workers from the Dan Morrissey quarry and concrete plant in Bennekerry, Co Carlow won this jackpot, which stood as the record for more than 13 years. The record-breaking prize accumulated in less than two months from the start of May, jumping up by more than €2 million from the previous draw on Wednesday 25th June, as players from across Ireland rushed to take part.
The winning group consisted of 15 men and one woman, including a father and a daughter and two sets of brothers. They played a €32 Quick Pick and were delighted to split the money between them, saying it was 'too much for one person'. Despite landing more than €1.1 million each, some members of the syndicate still turned up for work the day after they won, while they waited for two others to return home from holiday before coming forward to claim the jackpot.
3. €16.7 Million - Wednesday, 14th April 2010
There was a single winning ticket for this big draw on 14th April 2010, bringing an end to a sequence of rollovers lasting for more than a month. It was later revealed that the all-important entry was sold at Eason's store in Dungarvan, Co Waterford. The winner decided to stay anonymous, so no more information was released by National Lottery officials, although the owner of the store did say that it was an individual rather than a syndicate and that it 'couldn't have happened to a nicer person'.
Store owner Pat Whyte said the winner had contacted him before claiming the win and just needed time to come to terms with the 'ginormity' of the news.
4. €16.3 Million - Saturday, 23rd October 2010
A man from Dublin became the National Lottery's 400th millionaire when he matched all the numbers on 23rd October 2010. He decided to remain anonymous when he claimed his money but he did reveal that he chose his numbers himself, buying his €30 Quick Pick ticket from the Donnybrook Fair supermarket in Dublin 4. "I don’t play Lotto every week; however, I'm more likely to play when the jackpot is a big amount, such as last weekend," he said, declaring himself delighted and adding that he would share the win with his family.
5. €16.1 Million - Saturday, 28th July 2007
The Cunningham family from Co Cork scooped an enormous jackpot that was the biggest ever to have been seen on Irish Lotto at the time. The winning ticket was a €4 Quick Pick purchased at Twomey's Centra shop in Farranree, and the lucky family came forward just a few days later, arriving by coach at the National Lottery's Dublin headquarters. Parents Helen and Paul were joined by their five children – Amy, Sarah, Paul, Stephen and Shane. They said they already had a happy life before hitting the jackpot and were looking forward to getting back to normal.
Winning Locations
Irish Lotto has created big winners all over the country since it started in 1988, but some locations have proved to be luckier than others:
- Dublin - There have been more jackpot winners from Dublin than any other county, with more than 500 Lotto millionaires.
- Louth - Ireland’s smallest county has had the most Lotto winners per head of population.
- Carlow - The scene of Irish Lotto’s biggest win, where 16 quarry workers shared €18.9 million.
