Health Comes First For EuroMillions Plus Winner From Limerick
Last Updated: Tuesday 27th September 2022, 09:39 am
A EuroMillions Plus jackpot winner from Limerick has been forced to postpone picking up his €500,000 winnings for a second time after falling ill whilst en route to the National Lottery offices in Dublin.
Missed Train On His First Attempt
48-year-old Shane Maher won the half-a-million jackpot in the supplementary EuroMillions Plus draw on Tuesday 10th July. He bought his winning quick pick ticket from Tesco in Crescent Shopping Centre, Limerick, and it matched the numbers 2, 6, 15, 34 and 44 to land the six-figure prize.
Maher, a suicide awareness campaigner, revealed he was ‘as cool as a cucumber’ when he found out he was a jackpot winner, stating his health remains the most important thing in his life.
He said: “Money is no good to you without your health. I have had problems with my knee. I have had mental health problems. Money was the easiest thing I ever came by in my life. Learning patience was the hardest.”
The lucky ticket holder, who has been waiting five years for an operation on his troublesome knee, was initially supposed to collect his winnings in Dublin on Wednesday 18th July but missed his train from his local Colbert railway station in Limerick.
“My First Priority Is Health”
Maher then tried to collect his winnings for a second time, reaching Busáras - Dublin’s central bus station - before requiring ambulance treatment after suffering chronic pain in his left knee. He was admitted to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel and hopes to finally collect his long-awaited prize at the third time of asking once he’s been discharged.
However, he reiterated that his health remains his top priority, stating: “I hope to be discharged and then get the necessary painkillers I need. And health is wealth, you know? People think money is important. This is only money, you know? It’s a piece of paper. It can wait. It’s not a priority. I’m not starving.”
All Irish lottery winners have up to 90 days after the date of a draw to claim a prize, so Maher has plenty of time left to do so. It is rumoured he will place his winnings into a trust fund, or use some of money to invest in property with business partners.
