EuroMillions Irish winners scoop €170 million in prizes in 2017

Three jackpots including latest €38.9 million win make for bumper year

Euromillions winner Dolores McNamara, who won  more than €115 million in 2005. Photograph: Frank Miller
Euromillions winner Dolores McNamara, who won more than €115 million in 2005. Photograph: Frank Miller

EuroMillions players in Ireland scooped more than €170 million in prize money this year, including Friday's €38.9 million jackpot.

The win in Dublin is the third major jackpot won in Ireland in 2017. To date nobody has come forward to claim the prize.

In January, a Dublin work syndicate claimed a €88.5 million EuroMillions jackpot . The winning ticket was sold at the Applegreen Service Station on the M1 Northbound in Lusk, Co Dublin.

The syndicate's identity or the number of people involved in it was never revealed. However, the members did issue a statement through the National Lottery stating they were "speechless" and "absolutely delighted".

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They added: “We all have bills to pay with mortgages, loans and whatnot so we are looking forward to the financial freedom that comes with a win of this magnitude.”

In July a West of Ireland syndicate won almost €29 million on a ticket sold in the Garryduff XL Store, Castlebar, Co Mayo. The prize was claimed but again the identity of the winners were not revealed.

In addition to the three big jackpot winners, there were 31 winners of the EuroMillions Plus totalling €15.5 million including a Florida-based priest, Monsignor John Delaney who won €500,000 and told The Irish Times: "God gave it to me for some reason and I will give it away."

National Lottery chief executive Dermot Griffin said it had been an "amazing year" for EuroMillions players.

He urged the winner of the €38.9 million prize to come forward

“ At this stage we don’t know if it’s a single winner or a syndicate,” he said.

“We are not in a position yet to say where the ticket was sold. But as with all big wins we advise anybody who has this ticket to keep it safe until they can get into the National Lottery office to make their claim. This is a valuable piece of paper. We are open after the New Year’s break on Tuesday.”

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times