EuroMillions Winners Arrive by Bus to Collect €23.8 Million Prize
Last Updated: Thursday 29th July 2021, 14:45 pm
The 22-strong syndicate who won €23.8 million in last Friday’s EuroMillions draw arrived at Irish National Lottery headquarters yesterday on a double decker bus, emblazoned with a sign stating ‘Winners on Board’. The workers from Dublin Bus’ Broadstone Garage turned up at the offices on Abbey Street Lower in the capital on one of their company’s bright yellow vehicles before being whisked inside to quaff champagne and pick up their oversized cheques.
Of the 22 winners, 20 are drivers, one is an inspector and one took retirement earlier in the year, but had thankfully paid his syndicate dues up until November. One of the drivers, David Doherty, assured his bosses that those still employed by the firm would continue to turn up to work. “As far as I know we’re all going back to work,” he said, although one of his colleagues joked, “that could change on an icy cold December morning!”
Members of the group told Dublin radio station 98FM they might spend their cash on upgrading cars and taking holidays. When asked if they would lay on a night out for the less fortunate colleagues at the garage who were not part of the syndicate, one joked, “well, they have to be nice to us!”
Craig Shearer, who has worked with the firm for 32 years, called the EuroMillions success his “second win”, following his recent recovery from leukaemia. The 51-year-old said he would take time to consider how to best use his newfound fortune, but admitted he would like to explore the world, telling the assembled press, “I love travelling. I haven’t been able to do as much as I wanted to, but that’s different now.”
The group were the only ticket holders to match the winning EuroMillions line 2, 11, 13, 40 and 50 with Lucky Stars 1 and 10 last weekend, becoming Ireland’s ninth jackpot winners since the country joined the game in 2004. They will each receive a slice of the total worth just over €1 million thanks to the ticket that was bought at O’Hanlon’s Spar shop in Portarlington, Co. Laois. The biggest prize won in the Republic so far was the €115.4 million scooped by Limerick cleaner Dolores McNamara in August 2005.
