A shop owner in the small Co Wicklow village of Enniskerry was celebrating his second Lotto jackpot win in a year yesterday.
The winning Quick Pick ticket for a €11.2 million jackpot in Wednesday’s draw was sold at the Texaco Service Station and Spar shop on Monastery Road on Wednesday, just hours before the draw.
The National Lottery says it has not been contacted by the winner, or winners, and it is advising everyone in the area who bought a ticket on that day to check their numbers.
Speaking in Enniskerry on Friday, store manager Radek Gawor said he was working on Wednesday and could have sold the winning ticket. He said he had no idea who had won.
For store owner Ken O’Connor, this is the second time one of his shops has sold a winning lottery ticket.
The entrepreneur, who has stores and filling stations at Rathfarnham, Cornelscourt, Foxrock and Enniskerry, sold a winning ticket in his Rathfarnham store late last year.
“Just last year we sold another winning Lotto ticket worth €5.7 million at another one of our stores in Rathfarnham in Dublin, so we’re definitely a lucky retailer for our customers.
“Whoever the winner is, we wish them every bit of luck enjoying this life-changing win.”
Mr O’Connor said staff in Enniskerry would get a bonus from the €15,000 sellers’ prize and there would also be a party for staff. “The shop is absolutely buzzing this morning and I am just thrilled for our customers and of course our staff.”
Local woman Anne Byrne said she was delighted for the winner. “Good luck to them, whoever they are. I hope they share it out.”
The store on Monastery Road is on a road used by commuters between Enniskerry and Stepaside and the business parks around the M50.
“It could be anybody,” Ms Byrne said.
As nobody came forward to collect their winnings before 5pm on Friday, the Lottery said it would be Monday morning “at least” before the prize was claimed.
The spokesman said it was “entirely possible” that the winner might not want any publicity. He also said it was possible the winner was still unaware that they may be in possession of the winning ticket.
“We are encouraging anybody who has a ticket to check it carefully and to contact our prize claims team on 01-8364444, and we will make arrangements for you to collect your prize,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile in Enniskerry speculation was intense about who the winner might be.
Mr O’Connor said since he owned the filling station it was noticeable that the business in the first half of the day was from a ranges of van drivers who could come from anywhere.
In the afternoons customers tended to be more local. But, he said, without knowing the time the ticket was sold he could not speculate as to who might have won.
Whatever about the winner’s celebrations, Mr O’Connor said people would see the staff celebrating some evening soon.
The jackpot win is the 15th highest jackpot, while Wednesday’s winner becomes the sixth Lotto jackpot winner of 2019. Since the inception of the Lotto game in 1988, there have been 55 Lotto jackpot winners in Co Wicklow, amounting to €87.2 million euro in jackpot prizes alone. – Additional reporting PA
