After one lucky winner in Mayo recently scooped the biggest ever lotto jackpot at €19 million, the Irish Mirror have taken a look back at what happened to other lotto players who have won big over the years.
Many people dream of what they would do if they won the lottery but for this select few it became a reality overnight.
Some newly-made millionaires quit their day jobs immediately and purchased luxury mansions while others shared their fortune and gave huge sums away to charity.
Here’s how some of Ireland’s biggest jackpot winners have decided to spend their fortunes.
1. €175 million - Nine siblings from North Dublin
A family syndicate made up of nine siblings from North Dublin won €175 million on the EuroMillions in 2019. They still hold the record for Ireland’s largest ever lottery win with each of the siblings getting €19.4 million.
On the night they found out they won, they hid the ticket inside an Argos catalogue and under a mattress for safekeeping before they claimed their winnings.
The extended Rogers and Sheridan family are spread out across the Meath and north Dublin area, living in the Naul, Ashbourne, Bellewstown and Duleek. The siblings remained largely out of the public eye following the big win but were described by locals in Duleek as "decent hardworking people".
They eventually decided to split the sum 49 ways between children, grandchildren, and extended family who were set to pocket €3.5 million each.
Family spokesperson, Gerry Brown, whose wife is a member of the winning group, said at the time of the winnings that they didn’t want the win “to dramatically change [their] lives".
With his own share, Mr Brown, who is a keen cyclist, revealed he hoped to splash out on an expensive bike worth around €15,000.
2. £114.9 million - Frances and Patrick Connolly from Co Down
Frances and Patrick Connolly from Northern Ireland won £114.9 million (approximately €137m) in the EuroMillions draw on New Year's Day in 2019.
The generous couple, a retired teacher and businessman, aged 52 and 54 at the time of the win, sat down and wrote down a list of 50 people they wanted to share the money with.
Since then they have already given away more than half of their fortune to family, friends and various charitable causes.
As well as giving a share to their three daughters and siblings, they reportedly gave all their nieces and nephews money to buy their own homes.
The couple who were renting a terrace house in Moira, Co Down, at the time of the win moved back to England, where their daughters live, and bought a five-bedroom bungalow in Hartlepool, County Durham, complete with a tennis court and a swimming pool.
During the Covid pandemic, they donated huge sums to help those on the frontline as well as purchasing computers for children who didn't have the technology to access an education while schools were shut during lockdown.
3. €115 million - Dolores McNamara from Limerick
Dolores McNamara from Limerick scooped a then record €115 million EuroMillions jackpot in August 2005.
The 45-year-old mother-of-six who was working as a part-time cleaning lady attracted huge media attention as Ireland’s first ever EuroMillions winner.
At the time, Dolores and her husband Adrian lived in a modest 1,200 sq ft semi-detached home on St Patrick’s Road in Limerick
Six months after her win, she upgraded to a 10,000 sq ft property when she purchased Lough Derg Hall in Co Clare, a 16-bedroom hill-top mansion overlooking Lough Derg, for €1.7 million. She also bought homes for all her six children.
However, things have not been smooth sailing for Dolores after the win.
In the years after the jackpot win, she was forced to invest in tight security at their home due to safety concerns for her family and reported kidnap threats.
In April 2021, her husband Adrian, who was in his late 60s and was a bricklayer by trade, sadly died following an illness.
Meanwhile in October 2021, her daughter Kevanne McNamara, 37, and grandson and Luke McNamara, 19, escaped drugs convictions for possessing cocaine and cannabis after appearing in Ennis District Court.
4. €23.8 million - Bus drivers from Dublin
In July 2016, 22 bus drivers from Dublin Bus won €23.8 million in a syndicate EuroMillions win.
The group, made up of 21 bus drivers and one inspector who all worked at the Broadstone bus depot, famously drove a double decker bus to the Lotto headquarters in Abbey Street to claim their prize.
After the pot was divided, they walked away millionaires after collecting a prize over a million euro each.
Most of the group, aged between 36 to 63, wanted to remain anonymous but a few members revealed their identity including Mayo native John Brady and Dubliner David Doherty.
One of the winners Craig Shearer, 51, a father-of-three from Finglas, said that winning the lottery was like a second victory for him after he beat cancer having been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in June 2014.
Craig said he planned to use the money to travel, meanwhile other members of the group said they planned to spend it on new cars, helping family and holidays.
However, despite the huge sum in the bank, none of them quit their jobs and went back to work the following day.
5. €18.9 million - Dan Morrissey syndicate from Co Carlow
In June 2008, a group of 15 men and 1 woman working at the Dan Morrissey quarry in Bennekerry, Co Carlow won a massive €18.9 million in the Irish Lotto jackpot..
The lucky 16 became millionaires overnight and only a handful showed up for work in the morning after celebrating the win.
They each collected €1.2 million from the pot and some said they were simply looking forward to ‘paying off the bills’.
