Lotto syndicate winners speak of spoof, shock and suspected break-in

Several of the Donegal Lotto syndicate winners thought they were being "wound-up" when they were told they had scooped €4.8 million last Wednesday.

Celebrations were in full swing today at National Lottery headquarters where the "lucky 13" from Forward Emphasis International in Malin Head, picked up a cheque for €4,871,046.

The colleagues will share the jackpot equally, each taking home €374,695.84.

Holidays to Australia, New Zealand and New York, and a new television, are just some of the plans for spending the winnings.

Maria Doherty, from Clonmany, Co Donegal, who is the youngest of the group at 21, only joined the syndicate last Monday and has been called the luckiest girl in Ireland.

When asked what she would spend her winnings on, Ms Doherty said was not sure.

“I’ve never thought about what I would spend the money on,” she said.

“They were laughing on the bus up here because I said I wanted a new television for my room. At the minute I’m still in shock.”

She said her family were shocked, happy and “over the moon”.

“I phoned my mum and she just couldn’t believe it. It’s not a phone call that you think you’ll ever hear where someone says ‘Oh my God. I just won the lotto’. ”

Ms Donerty studied accountancy at Letterkenny Institute of Technology and graduated this year before securing her first job in Forward Emphasis.

James Bradley (28), who bought the winning ticket last week and is about to become a father for a second time, said he planned to buy a house and a new car for his partner.

Claire McElhinney, from Fahan, Co Donegal, was on holidays in Tenerife when she was told of the win.

She explained how much it meant for the group: “It’s not only us. There are 13 people, but there are 13 people who have 100 people around them. Every person in our families is ecstatic.”

Anna McKinney, from Derry, said that it would take months to sink in.

Marian McCauley, from Gleneely, Co Donegal, only found out she had won, when she thought she was the victim of a break in.

Kelly McMonagle and Linda McKinley, two more of the syndicate, tried and failed to get through to her mobile phone and instead decided to call to her house to tell her the good news.

“I heard the door bell ring and I was trying to wake my husband, but I couldn’t wake him. There were kicks at the door, and then we thought that maybe somebody had died,” Ms McCauley said.

“It didn’t sink in until we saw James that morning.”

Kelly McMonagle, from Moville, is expecting her first child in seven weeks and only picked up the keys to a new house two weeks ago.

“It’s a dream, the timing is great,” she said.

Maria McLaughlin, from Clonmany, Co Donegal, found out she had won via snapchat and thought it was a joke.

When asked how she planned on spending her winnings, she said: “You always think about what you would buy, but when it actually happens, everything goes out of your head,” she said.

“I’m going to New York for Christmas, but I want to go on a quiet holiday first to get my head around it.”

It is the fourth time a Lotto jackpot winning ticket has been sold in Buncrana. Since the Lotto began in 1988, over €73.5 million has been paid out to 51 lucky Co Donegal winners.

The last time the Lotto jackpot was won in Co Donegal, it was the biggest win for the county. In June 2014, a €12.1 million winning ticket was sold in Bundoran.